Hearts Of Gold
by KpCw
Summary: What if Vanitas wasn't as evil as everyone presumed? Sometimes, to protect those we love, hard decisions must be made. When Vanitas' love is threatened, can he do what it takes to protect her from the Darkness and Xehanort? Or will all be lost? VanXOC
1. Hearts of Gold: Chapter I

**Hearts of Gold**

****I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN KENIERA, AND I ATTEMPT TO OWN HOLT****

_**Chapter 1**_

Keniera swung her Keyblade in wide, sweeping arc, catching the Heartless by the shoulder and dissolving it in a blast of dark mist and ichor. A few quick glances around her training area showed that was the last one, at least for _this_ session. As always, she held her position for a few seconds, counting her breaths and calming her frantic heart, bringing it down from its frenzied crescendo. She always got a little... wild… during Battle Practice, especially after Holt said she had been improving. She was desperate to impress him, to _finally_ reach his level. Holt... She thought for a moment and glanced up, still holding her position. Hadn't he just been here? _Where has he gone now?_ She wondered, a tad bit irritably. Exasperated, Keniera blew a stray piece of brunette hair from her face as she straightened up and searched the clearing she had been practicing in for her unaccounted tutor. "Holt? _Ho-olt_!" When he didn't answer, she absentmindedly started twisting the hem of her skirt, anxiously looking about the clearing. It was one of her favorite spots in all of Radiant Gardens; not only to train in, but to relax in and hang out and just be… _normal_. It was really just a small meadow with an old hickory stump in the middle, surrounded by tall, young trees and wildflowers, with a steep overhang above the river, appropriately dubbed _the Ledge_ by the locals. Nothing special physically, but it held many memories... Keniera shook her head to clear her thoughts, her hair once again floating down from her now-messy bun. She distractedly wiped a drop of sweat from her temple and continued her search for her mentor.

She had arrived in Radiant Gardens just two years ago, in this very clearing; battered, broken, and unresponsive. Holt had been mentoring some younger trainees when a dark corridor had opened up in the middle of the clearing and a strange man dropped her body near the Ledge, paying absolutely no attention to the shocked children and mentor just a few feet away. He had carelessly dropped her body, wrapped in a white sheet, at his feet and pulled it open just enough for her face to show. Her eyes had been open but unseeing and her mouth formed incoherent words, just barely audible. An aura of darkness had surrounded her, tingeing the air around her with a sick, grey glow. He had kneeled next to her, whispering something to her while pulling a black ring from her right pinkie finger.

The man had straightened up, summoned another dark portal, and disappeared without another word. After he had left, everyone had stayed rooted to the spot where they stood, none too sure on how to react. Eventually Keniera had whimpered in her stupor and alerted Holt, who had temporarily forgotten her presence. He had scooped her up and taken her to the hospital with his curious students trailing dazedly behind him. Afterwards, no one could remember exactly what the man looked like; the only feature anyone could really remember were his eyes, glowing gold like a coin. As they neared the hospital, however, their interest was focused less on the man from the clearing and more on the young woman he had _brought_. She had lain in a hospital bed for a month after that, hooked up to every machine imaginable, the townsfolk fearing she would never wake up.

Days past; the cuts and scrapes and bruises healed and faded, but her eyes remained lifeless, her breath shallow and her heart feeble. No amount of medication or therapy derived any response from the seemingly comatose girl. The magicians and wizards in the town claimed it was a curse, one only time could heal; the healers and physicians never pinpointed the source of her coma. With every theory ending in mystery, superstition rose steadily in their minds. After hours and hours making fruitless conjectures and diagnostics, they simply stopped testing and sat back to see if she would wake up on her own, twenty-nine days into her stay. A nurse the next morning, coming to check the girl's heartbeat and vitals, was surprised to find her sitting up and looking around the room in a haze with no recollection of her former life, other than waking up in the hospital. She was physically fine; all her injuries had healed in their own time. Her eyes had changed, just slightly enough to confound the doctors. Instead of remaining the same sky-blue, they had developed a strange ring of brownish-gold around the irises. They quickly dismissed the anomaly and focused more on her memory. The only thing the girl seemed to know was her name, Keniera, and the name of another; Vanitas.

Keniera, lost in her thoughts, was anxiously twisting the fabric of her shirt, worrying the fabric. It was one of her many, many habits, and the shirt was one of her favorites, light and flowy with a small pocket near her heart which was usually filled up with all kinds of trinkets by the end of the day: a blue jay feather, a heart-shaped rock, a porcelain bead or even a stray coin. It seemed to her that she was pretty good at finding lost things, another of her habits; one of the few things she considered to be windows to her past. As she stared off into space, she was alerted by the sound of a branch snapping just behind her. Dropping the hem of her shirt, she swung around, her arm extended and summoning her Keyblade in one quick move, ready for the attack.

Just as her blade was about to connect, a slightly tanned hand wrapped around her forearm and brought her poorly coordinated attack to a screeching halt. The look of panic on her face was quickly replaced with one of irritation as she took in the face of her mentor, an amused smile spread across his face. "What," he asked innocently, "did I _scare_ you? Were you _scared_?" He laughed as she pushed him away playfully.

"Nothing scares me, you know that!"

"Except spiders!" he pointed out.

Keniera shuddered. "That's different," she argued, turning her back on him to get her water bottle from her knapsack. "You can't see them coming! One minute everything's fine, the next minute, **WHAM**! There's a huge, hairy, th_-thing_ on your hand! It's horrible!" She shuddered again. "Yeah, I guess you're right. That _does_ sound absolutely _dreadful_!" His voice went high, poorly imitating her clear soprano voice. "I can't imagine _anything_ worse!" He laughed again and she chucked an extra water bottle at him, catching him squarely on the temple. "Ow! Take a joke, Keniera!" He rubbed his head, a goofy smile still taking residence on his face. "I _do_ take jokes," she replied, sticking her nose into the air. "but only _funny_ ones." Holt groaned and placed a hand over his heart. "You kill me, Keniera, you really do." He slumped over, feigning death, his eyes closed and his tongue hanging theatrically out of his mouth. Keniera rolled her eyes and sat down on the old stump, resting her bag in her lap. Holt was still 'dead' on the ground in front of her, determined to get a reaction. She knew he wouldn't move until she gave in, so she leaned back and decided to just enjoy the silence while she could.

Holt hadn't moved an inch in five minutes, and Keniera knew his patience was wearing thin. Of all the things Holt was known for; his cheerfulness, his loyalty, his ambition, his patience was DEFINITELY not on _that_ list. His temper was about as short as an inch, even shorter in a competition. Regardless, she decided he could suffer a little longer. She glanced down at his 'lifeless' figure. His fiery red hair had dirt in it from his overly-dramatic demise, and she could see his eyes move from beneath their lids. His eyes were as deep a brown as the earth in his hair; she could picture them perfectly in her mind. His blue sleeveless vest was unzipped, and she could see his frame beneath the fabric of his white tee shirt. Holt was muscular, but not overly so; just enough to be impressive. She raised a hand to her mouth to keep her giggles inside. He was pretty attractive, but if he had even an _ounce_ of the 'manliness' he claimed he did, he would have all the village girls in the palm of his hand. Keniera tried to picture Holt the Radiant Gardens Casanova. Unable to contain the laughter bubbling up in her chest, she tried to disguise the giggles as a cough into her hand. With an exaggerated gasp, Holt sat up and stretched his arms out to either side. "It's okay, Keniera! I… have… RETURNED! Mourn no more! Ow!" He wrapped his arms around his head before Keniera could reach for a third water bottle, who was seriously considering complying.

Peeking up over his arms, Holt assumed the coast was, for the moment, clear. He stretched his arms wide, and Keniera could hear his joints cracking; something Keniera had, somehow, never managed to accomplish. After stretching, Holt let out a sigh and got to his feet, heading towards the Ledge. After a moments hesitation, Keniera stowed her water bottle back in her knapsack and left it on the ground to join him. She sat near the edge and removed her shoes, stretching her toes over the river a little ways below them. Keniera felt her face heat up when she noticed her toenails were still vivid, neon pink from painting them with Kairi last night. Just the thought of their 'sleepover' almost put Keniera in a giggling fit. Kairi's grandma was visiting a sick relative, and had asked her to babysit Kairi for the night. Keniera happily agreed. After a dozen movies and at least a truckload of popcorn, Kairi (in her cute, four-year-old fashion) suggested they do each others' hair and nails. Keniera was hopeless to resist, and soon they were coated in hairspray and a rainbow of nail colors. Kairi had settled on blue ("Like the ocean!" she'd said. Not like she'd actually _seen_ the ocean before), while Keniera had felt a little adventurous with pink. ("Like a _pig_!" Kairi had squealed happily, which of course ensured pig noises and snorts the rest of the evening until the laughter had become too unbearable). Holt, meanwhile, had noticed her blindingly pink toes and was making a horrible face. "Pink?" he inquired skeptically. "It looks like they're pigs sitting on your toes." Coming from a four-year-old little girl it sounded cute. Coming from Holt… "You're lucky I left my water bottle back there, or you'd have it coming!" She laughed and playfully pushed him over onto his side. He just laid there on his side and laughed back, looking out over the young forest before them.

Keniera sighed as the sun started to set over the tops of the trees, brilliant shades of orange and gold stretching out to touch the sky from the dying sun. "Is the sun setting on the other worlds right now," she mused aloud, "or is it rising?" Holt glanced over at her, staring at the way her skin glowed in the light of the sunset. The blue in her eyes seemed to fade a bit, while the gold ring seemed to emit a source of light all its own. The breeze blew strands of her hair around her face; some red, some brown, some bronze. He wished she would grow it out, he liked it when she had first arrived in Radiant Gardens and her hair was long, reaching down just to the small of her back. She had quickly gotten it cut her first few days out of the hospital, seeing that the other girls and women preferred shoulder-length, neat cuts. "I don't know." _But it's more beautiful with _you_ here, that's for sure._ He forced his eyes away from her face; with his rotten luck she'd catch him staring and summon up another water bottle with a direct aim at his head. Instead, he looked out and managed to catch the last rays of sun as it disappeared beneath the trees.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! :3

Holt: You guys better do it, she gets panicky if she waits!

Keniera:*hits Holt with a water bottle* That's mean, Holt! And I'm running out of water bottles!

KpCw: *facedesk* please review! Please?

Holt: Yeah! DOOOOOO ITTTT! OW! KENIERA!

Keniera: It was my last one! Couldn't waste it! ;)

KpCw: Oh, Kingdom Hearts help me..


	2. Hearts of Gold: Chapter II

HEARTS OF GOLD: CHAPTER 2

**Well, it took me some time and a LOT of digital White-Out, but (dahdahdahDAH!) CHAPTER 2 IS HERE! *applause* I had the perfect opportunity to get it posted, since I'm home sick from school today! Yay! *cough, cough!* Oh well! ;3**

**Thanks to all… *holds up many fingers* ummm… 2 of my reviewers! Thanks so much to theoriginal13thmember and CLJR for your reviews! *gives digital hug* If I had cookies right now, I'd email them to you two! Hopefully the story can continue to live up to your expectations!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR DIGITAL WHITE-OUT! **

_Hearts of Gold - Chapter II_

_ "It was Keniera's first full day out of the hospital. She took in a deep breath of fresh air, free from the smell of antiseptic and illness, and tagged along behind Holt; the boy who had 'rescued' her, as he so valiantly put it. He was busy talking, explaining Radiant Garden's history and culture while animatedly gesturing to the shops and people and such surrounding them. Keniera couldn't help but smile as one of his hands nearly knocked an old lady off her cane. The old woman stumbled and Keniera dashed out to catch her, the smile disappearing to be replaced with a worried frown. Holt, not paying any attention before, saw their struggle and pitched in a hand to help, spluttering apologies to the elderly woman before catching the backside of her purse across his head. The woman saw Keniera was with him and gave her a sympathetic look before hobbling off into the marketplace. 'Goodbye, Grandma!' Holt called out, 'I'll see you tonight!' As soon as Holt's grandmother rounded the corner, deliberately ignoring her grandson, both teens erupted in laughter, bending double and holding their stomachs. Passerby gawked at the two, wondering what in the world could've been so funny. After a few moments, Holt looked over at her, tears in his eyes. 'You're not so bad, y'know? You know how to laugh… I think we should be friends!' She smiled up at him, giggling at his over-eager expression. 'I think we should, too.' "_

Keniera woke up slowly, rubbing her eyes with her fists and chasing the last of the sleep from them, smiling softly as the remnants of her dream floated away. It was one of her favorite memories, the day she and Holt had 'officially' become friends. She stretched, reaching as far as she could with her arms and sticking her toes (still pink) over the edge of her bed_. _Sighing, she rolled out of bed and opened her window, looking out on the bustling marketplace below. Her room was rented out above Mr. and Mrs. Landan's Flower Shop, overlooking the beautiful square and the intricately sculpted Square Fountain. Holt sat on the fountain's edge, waiting for her to come out, as usual. He smiled and waved as he caught side of her. Smiling back, she left her window to get ready for today's training. She pulled her comforter back over her bed, smoothing out the beautiful star design before turning to her dresser and mirror. Her dresser was cluttered with all the Lost Things she had found; little baggies of marbles and stones, bunches of feathers tied together with twine, a silver charm, game pieces, a bird's eggshell, and a silver key. All over her mirror, Keniera had taped up photographs of her adventures in Radiant Gardens, mostly of Holt and herself in various positions and places, and mostly of them in her favorite clearing. Glancing in her mirror between the multiple photos, she took account of last night's damage. Her hair was messy, sticking up in strange places and tangled in others, and sleep was still apparent on her face. She tried running her fingers through her wild mane, but to no avail. Opening her drawers, Keniera gathered her clothes for the day; a light grey t-shirt and black cargo capris, and headed to the shower.

Holt jumped up from the fountain's edge when he saw Keniera emerge from the Flower Shop, talking briefly with Mr. Landan. He felt a smile settle onto his face as she waved goodbye. She was dressed simply, her knapsack on her back and her hair still damp from her shower, leaving small damp spots at the edges of her collar. Keniera wasn't wearing any makeup. She never did. Holt wasn't surprised; it was impossible to make her look even more beautiful than she always did. He had never told her that, of course. Little compliments he could give her were always running through his head, but he never had the courage to get them out of his mouth. _One day, I'll tell her_ _everything_, he promised himself. _I just have to wait until we're ready_. Keniera jogged up to him, shaking him out of his reverie. "Ready for today?" he asked, trying to push his previous thoughts from his mind. "I've got some new moves I'd bet you'd just _love_ to try out!" She groaned theatrically and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, 'cause I just _love_ hitting things and making a fool of myself. Let's get going," Keniera grabbed his wrist and pulled him through the crowds of busy shoppers, "The sooner we start the sooner we can stop!" Holt smiled and let her pull him along, a warm feeling traveling from his wrist to his face.

"Come on, Keniera! Remember: slice up, spin, swing around, and finish!" Keniera nodded and tried again, pulling her Keyblade up across the dummy's stomach, spinning around and bringing it level with her waist, then cutting back across the dummy's abdomen, making a plus sign across its body. She held her position, as she always did, and felt a hand on her shoulder. "Good job," Holt commented, patting her gently. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a _Master_ before coming here!" Keniera felt her face heat up, and tried to conceal it with her hand. "Yeah, well, you'd think I'd remember something _that_ important!" She blew it off casually, trying not to let him see how much it hurt. She often spent time wondering who, or _what_ she had been before Radiant Gardens, what she had done to be dumped off without an explanation… She hadn't known anything except her name and someone else's… Vanitas. She wondered about him, too. Keniera knew he was a boy, suspected he was her age, but nothing else would come to mind. "…take a break?" Keniera started and shook her head, coming back to reality. "Huh?" She was completely clueless. Holt laughed nervously. "Do. You. Want. To. Take. A. Break?" he enunciated each word slowly, letting them sink in. Understanding dawned in her eyes. "O-oh, yeah. Sure!" She straightened up and walked stiffly over to the Ledge, sitting and drawing her knees up to her chest. Following her, Holt could sense her pensiveness and crouched down next to Keniera, resting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" He started, but she waved her hand dismissively. "Holt, you don't have worry about it, it's not like I haven't wondered before…" She stopped, hesitant to continue. "I just wish I could, I don't know, get a hint? Just one; something small. My last name, o-or where I was from, or my parents…" She trailed off quietly, leaving an uncomfortable silence between them. "Not knowing is the worst part. I could forget if my past was bad, or I was homeless or orphaned. I could start over. _Not knowing_, it's like fighting Heartless in the dark. You can't tell whether you're winning, or if you've even gotten a _hit._ You're blind." Keniera blushed, embarrassed by letting so much out on Holt. He had his own problems; he didn't need to hear _hers_. She straightened up, feigning indifference. "Never mind, I'm happy here. Why should I care about then? I don't need memories when I can still make my own." Keniera laid her head down on her knees, trying to pull herself together while still maintaining her act. Holt shook his head, looking serious and not falling for it one bit. "Keniera, memories are what make us who we _are_. Without them, we're just shells; we're Nobodies. You'll get yours back, and I'll help. We'll figure everything out. I promise." She didn't respond, just trembled slightly. He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but when she looked up, there were tears in her eyes. She looked so sad, like it was all too much. "What if I was bad, Holt?" she whispered. "What if I did horrible things; killed people, destroyed worlds, what then?" A tear rolled softly down her cheek. Holt watched it make a damp path down her face, his hands itching to wipe it off. Her eyes searched his, still looking for an answer. He sighed_. I'd still love you_, he thought. _I'd still stay with you_. He wanted to say it so bad, his tongue burned. But instead, he smiled and ruffled her hair. "Then I'd have to kick your butt."

It was weak, but it was enough. Keniera laughed and slapped his arm gently, wiping her eyes with her hand. "You really think you could beat me? I've seen houseflies scarier than you!" Holt placed a hand dramatically over his eyes. "Oh, your insults sting terribly! Do stop, I can't take much more!" He laughed as she swatted him again, this time catching his shoulder. Keniera shook her head in exasperation, pulling her knapsack back onto her shoulders. As they stood up, Keniera wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug. He returned it, letting his hands rest on her bag. "Thanks, Holt," she said, her cheek resting on his chest. He could feel her breath through his shirt, directly over his heart. "You always know how to cheer me up." He stood silent for a moment, not wanting to let her go, hoping she couldn't hear his heart race from her embrace, trying to come up with something sensitive and romantic to say. "That's what I do best; keep your moods under control." Holt face palmed mentally, but she laughed and squeezed him gently before letting her arms drop to her sides. Holt did the same, worrying he had gone too far, but wanting to go farther. _Get a hold, man!_ He scolded himself. _Take it slow, let it build! _Holt was shaken out of his internal lecture when the ground suddenly shook beneath his feet, pitching him to the side. He landed hard on his left shoulder, grunting as a sharp pain ran through his arm. Keniera was off to the side, hanging onto a small tree for dear life. The tremors stopped suddenly, leaving animals scurrying to and fro in the underbrush and the two friends confounded. "What was that?" Keniera asked, breathless. She hesitantly let go of the tree, small white crescent moons embedded in the bark from her fingernails. Holt staggered to his feet, shaking out his arm, which was just bruised, rolling his shoulder and flexing his fingers. "It felt like an earthqua—" Keniera cut off suddenly, looking up into the sky. Holt looked up too, and his blood ran cold.

**BUHBUHBUHBUHMMMM! CLIFFHANGER!**

**Personally, I love Cliffhangers! They're just so suspenseful! Anyway, I've still got a few more hours to kill so I might get another chapter in today or tomorrow, so be prepared! If not those two days, then I'll try to get it in Friday… **

**Please, read and review! I know Vanitas hasn't shown up yet, but he'll be here! He's just as impatient as some of you, I'd assume! ;3 **

**READ AND REVIEW! 3 You guys!**

Vanitas: Can I come in now?

KpCw: No, not yet! But soon! SOON! *laughs evilly*

Vanitas: O.O (Lol!) The darkness is strong with this one…

KpCw: This is Kingdom Hearts, not Star Wars!


	3. Hearts of Gold: Chapter III

Hearts of Gold: Chapter III

**Yay! It's finally here! If you've been waiting, I'm sorry! I've had a BUTT load of stuff to do and not a lot of time to do it, so this is pretty much the only time I've had to myself to just sit and WRITE. Yay again! So anyway, last chapter was pretty short (and a cliffhanger, too) so I decided to try and make this one a tad bit looooonnnnngggggeeeeeerrrrr…. Please, read and review! Also, if anyone has ANY suggestions, please submit your opinions! I LOVE OPINIONS! Just a little warning, though, this chapter was INCREDIBLY hard to write; there is a small amount of cussing (nothing too serious, no F-bombs, lol!) and a LOT of drama and fighting (fight scenes are also INCREDIBLY hard to write! Xc) But anyway, ON WITH CHAPTER III!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS, KINGDOM HEARTS 2, KINGDOM HEARTS: BIRTH BY SLEEP, OR ANYTHING! IF I DID, THE WORLD WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER PLACE! I ONLY OWN MY OC'S!**

**Hearts of Gold: Chapter III**

_"That's what I do best; keep your moods under control." Holt face palmed mentally, but she laughed and squeezed him gently before letting her arms drop to her sides. Holt did the same, worrying he had gone too far, but wanting to go farther. _Get a hold_, man! He scolded himself. _Take it slow, let itbuild!_ Holt was shaken out of his internal lecture when the ground suddenly shook beneath his feet, pitching him to the side. He landed hard on his left shoulder, grunting as a sharp pain ran through his arm. Keniera was off to the side, hanging onto a small tree for dear life. The tremors stopped suddenly, leaving animals scurrying to and fro in the underbrush and the two friends confounded. "What was that?" Keniera asked, breathless. She hesitantly let go of the tree, small white crescent moons embedded in the bark from her fingernails. Holt staggered to his feet, shaking out his arm, which was just bruised, rolling his shoulder and flexing his fingers. "It felt like an earthqua—"Keniera cut off suddenly, looking up into the sky. Holt looked up too, and his blood ran cold._

Long clouds, like black and purple fingers, reached across the sky, breaking it into pale blue shards of painted glass. Keniera took a hesitant step forward, her neck craned back so her face was turned towards the dark omen above them. Almost unnoticed, a Neoshadow Heartless crept up behind her, its antennae twitching excitedly. Another cautiously approached Keniera from the front, but it looked considerably different. This one was a sort of electric blue, and all sharp angles. Its eyes glowed an unnerving red, and darted to and fro, slowly approaching Keniera with every step. Quietly, Holt summoned his Keyblade, Oathkeeper, careful not to startle the creatures; one wrong move, and they would pounce. He advanced toward her slowly, Keyblade at the ready. He was just about in striking distance, when Keniera spoke up. "Holt? What's going on—?" Keniera's voice startled the two monsters, and they leaped at her, claws aimed for her heart. Completely unprepared, she froze. Holt, however, was one step ahead. With a quick swipe of Holt's blade, the Neoshadow dissipated inches from Keniera's back. Holt swung around and was about to slice through the other monster, but Keniera cried out and grabbed his arm mid-swing. Holt stopped. The small, unidentifiable creature was tugging at the leg of Keniera's capris, trying to pull her towards the town. Hesitantly, she let it, grabbing Holt's hand and pulling him along with her. "What is that thing?" Holt whispered into her ear, keeping quiet. For whatever reason, he felt that the creature would try to eavesdrop on their conversation. He mentally shook himself. Why _would it do that? It'd probably have no idea what we were saying!_ She didn't answer for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. They were nearing the edge of the clearing now, the little monster becoming more and more excited as they neared the ridge overlooking the town. "I've seen these before," Keniera finally replied, glancing down at the creature. "I think they're called…" Keniera raised her head and trailed off as Radiant Gardens came into their sight. Her eyes widened, and Holt turned away from her to see what had surprised her. All the breath left his lungs as he gawked at the town beneath them; his home ever since he could remember. Holt felt cold; shocked. Keniera let out a choked sob, ignoring the creature desperately pulling at her pant leg. The two simply stood for a moment, rooted in place at the sight of the carnage below.

Their world was burning.

Black, hungry fire had consumed over half of the town so far, the flames reaching high into the sky and their purple smoke streaking it in wide, nasty smears. They could hear screams; townspeople panicking as Heartless surrounded them at every corner and their world slowly crumbled around them. The strong, acrid smell of smoke reached the two companions, causing Holt's eyes to burn and Keniera to cough loudly. The small monster was absolutely frenzied now, jumping up and down and gesturing wildly to the town below. The two could only watch as the flames ran their course. The fire left nothing in its path; only smoking remnants of foundations gave any sign to homes and shops that once were. Holt watched in utter horror as another building went up in flames. With a start, he could barely make out the large painted sign of the Landan's Flower Shop nailed on its front before black fire ate it up. Keniera must've seen it, too; another sob managed its way from her throat and she placed a hand over her heart. Her sorrow suddenly turned to panic, however, when she saw someone emerging from the burning shop, dragging something (or someone) behind them, a dozen or so Heartless meeting them out front. In a flash, Keniera took off down the hill towards the town in a full sprint, leaving a startled monster and a startled friend behind her. The monster recovered quickly and sank into the ground, becoming a small blue circle that zoomed down the hill after her. Holt blinked a few times as he watched his friend make her way towards the ravaged town. Reality hit him hard, then. Fighting the urge to catch up to her and hold her back, Holt followed his friend into what could've easily been mistaken for Hell.

Mrs. Landan was beating the Heartless away from her unconscious husband with a broom, to little avail. Tears streaked down her soot-stained face as a Soldier Heartless leaped onto his back, its clawed hands tearing through her husband's favorite shirt like wet paper. Screaming incoherently, she swung her broom towards its head, screaming louder as it passed easily through the demon. Throwing the broom to the scorched cobblestones, she attacked the Heartless with her hands, grabbing and scratching the wretched thing anywhere she could; its arms, its legs, its godforsaken _eyes_. She hated those emotionless, yellow eyes; she wanted to tear them out, to _burn_ them in the black fire that destroyed her home, to watch the suffering in them just as it was watching the suffering in hers. She lunged for those eyes, fingernails at the ready and tackled it; knocking them both to the ground and off her husband's back. Her hands, formed into claws streaked with ash and soot, dug into its flesh; black ichor welling up from crescent-shaped wounds in its body. Its skin was cold, colder than ice and she went at it with everything she had. Mrs. Landan failed to notice other Heartless creeping up behind her, stalking her silently, and waiting for just the right moment to… Keniera came up behind them and started frantically swinging at them with her Keyblade, trying to pull their attention away from Mrs. Landan and her husband, who was looking about as bad as it could get. As they were caught off guard, she managed to dispel three of the Soldiers and two Neoshadows before the other five or six could strike back. Mrs. Landan was still on the ground with what was probably the unluckiest Heartless in the world, desperately clawing at it, and the others directed their attention away from her and her husband to focus on the new prey; the Keyblade Wielder.

Holt sprinted into the middle of the square, panting heavily. He doubled over and rested his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. The harsh, biting sting of smoke filled his lungs with each breath he managed to drag in and his eyes watered almost uncontrollably. He looked up, still bent double and searched the square fruitlessly; his eyes traveling to every corner, every storefront, everywhere. Keniera had disappeared. _Damn,_ he thought, _lost her_. He scolded himself mentally, cursing his hesitation on the hill. _You just let her waltz right in, didn't you?_ He asked himself. _Let your friend-who-you-wish-was-more-than-a-friend make her way to certain doom, that's the way to show how you feel! Idiot_! The monster had managed to keep up with her, darting around behind her like a second shadow as she plunged into the burning town, but Holt hadn't been fast enough. He'd lost sight of her as soon as she entered the thick cloud of smoke surrounding the town. He straightened up, coughing up a lungful of smoke. Holt had almost turned around to search somewhere else, when something caught the corner of his eye. _What the…? _An old man dressed in a white shirt with a black and red cloak stood on top of the Square Fountain, seemingly peaceful despite the hellish nightmare surrounding him. He stood hunched over, his hands folded neatly behind his back as he calmly observed the chaos ensuing around him. The man was bald, with a small white beard sprouting from his chin. As the old man's gaze traveled around the square, he caught sight of Holt. Their eyes locked, and Holt started, taking a hasty step forward. His eyes… Gold, like two silver coins… A memory hit Holt head-on:

_Holt had been mentoring some younger trainees when a dark corridor had opened up in the middle of the clearing and a strange man dropped a body near the Ledge, paying absolutely no attention to the shocked children and mentor just a few feet away. He had carelessly dropped the body, wrapped in a white sheet, at his feet and pulled it open just enough for a face to show. It was a girl, just about Holt's age, if not a bit younger. Her blue eyes had been open but unseeing and her mouth formed incoherent words, just barely audible. Brunette hair framed a thin, malnourished face, and an aura of darkness had surrounded her, tingeing the air around her with a sick, grey glow. He had kneeled next to the girl, whispering something to her while pulling a black ring from her right pinkie finger. _

_The man had straightened up, summoned another dark portal, and disappeared without another word. After he had left, everyone had stayed rooted to the spot where they stood, none too sure on how to react. Eventually the girl, Keniera, had whimpered in her stupor and alerted Holt, who had temporarily forgotten her presence. He had scooped her up and taken her to the hospital with his curious students trailing dazedly behind him. Afterwards, no one could remember exactly what the man looked like; the only feature anyone could really remember were his eyes, glowing gold like a coin…_

Anger and confusion bubbled up inside him, threatening to rip him open at any minute. "It was you," he whispered. "You brought her here. You just left her! She's miserable, not knowing who she is, because of you! BECAUSE YOU TOOK HER MEMORIES! SHE HAD NOTHING! SHE WORRIED AND WORRIED ABOUT WHY SOMEONE WOULD JUST _ABANDON_ HER, JUST GIVE HER UP AND IT WAS ALL YOU!" Holt was screaming now, and the old man looked amused. Even though he was too far away for Holt to have possibly heard him, the old man's voice reached Holt's ears, raspy and hoarse, as if unused for years. "Ah, not so, lad. But my suspicions have been confirmed, Keniera _is_ here! Don't blame me; It was not I who abandoned the girl here," a wicked smile pulled at the man's mouth, revealing nastily pointed teeth. "But I can assure you, you won't have to worry about her for long, my boy. If she's not dead already, she will be when I catch her!" The man laughed, the sound like nails being dragged down a chalkboard. Holt was fuming, fire burning down every vein. "YOU BASTARD!" He screamed, and summoned his Keyblade. "YOU WON'T TOUCH HER!" Holt failed to see a masked man enter the square behind him through a portal, a deadly-looking Keyblade at his side. Holt charged at the old man, yelling as he approached and lunged, aiming for the old man's heart. The old man smiled, and the fight began.

_**Yay! So there's Chapter III! *applause* As always, please READ AND REVIEW!**


	4. Hearts of Gold: Chapter IV

**Whoo hoo! Chapter IV already! Man, I'm on a roll! ; 3 **

**Thanks to all my reviewers, you guys are the best and your reviews really help and encourage me to keep writing! Please, any advice is COMPLETELY welcome! *gives hugs* Please please please REVIEW! Also, I decided to add a couple of my favoritest characters from BBS in here; I thought I needed to go a little more in-depth with the townsfolk of Radiant Gardens. To anyone who's played BBS, I think you might know who I'm talking about… ;3**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS. OR ANYTHING RELATED TO KINGDOM HEARTS. I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS KENIERA AND HOLT, AND THEY OWN ME.**

Hearts of Gold: Chapter IV

_Mrs. Landan failed to notice other Heartless creeping up behind her, stalking her silently, and waiting for just the right moment to… Keniera came up behind them and started frantically swinging at them with her Keyblade, trying to pull their attention away from Mrs. Landan and her husband, who was looking about as bad as it could get. As they were caught off guard, she managed to dispel three of the Soldiers and two Neoshadows before the other five or six could strike back. Mrs. Landan was still on the ground with what was probably the unluckiest Heartless in the world, desperately clawing at it, and the others directed their attention away from her and her husband to focus on the new prey; the Keyblade Wielder_.

_Holt failed to see a masked man enter the square behind him through a portal, a deadly-looking Keyblade at his side. Holt charged at the old man, yelling as he approached and lunged, aiming for the old man's heart. The old man smiled, and the fight began._

The Heartless were gone, finally, and Keniera slumped to the ground, breathing hard. Cuts and scrapes covered her body; grisly souvenirs of now-deceased monsters. She pushed the hair from her face, grimacing as her hand brushed over a large bruise on her cheek. Mrs. Landan was sitting across from her, just a few feet away, her arms black from the elbows down with black ichor, the last remaining sign of the Heartless she maimed. The body had dissipated long ago. Incoherent, she held her husband's head in her lap, sobbing uncontrollably. She pulled at his hair and buried her face in his bloody shirt, her breath hitching and rocking her body as she mourned; Mr. Landan had not survived. A large gash ran from his right shoulder across his body, ending at his waist on his left. He had slowly bled to death while Keniera was distracted with the Heartless, his wife maniacally maiming one of said creatures. Keniera felt her own eyes burn and lowered her face into her hands, fresh tears cutting a path through the soot and grime covering her face.

_He's dead_, she thought. _And I could've saved him_.

Keniera let a flow of memories overtake her, gratefully departing from the grim reality she was trapped inside. She remembered Mr. Landan smiling and laughing as she told him about her misadventures at school, handing her a bouquet of flowers every morning to place in a vase on her dresser, holding his wife close when he thought she wasn't paying attention, telling his corny jokes, checking on her every evening, trying to fix all her problems, lending her money, cheering her up, giving her gifts… Mr. Landan had been like a _father_ to her.

And now he was gone.

And it was her fault.

Keniera felt her throat tighten up and let the tears flow freely; her vision swam and colors blurred together, the clouds of smoke transforming into shapeless blobs, the dancing black flames becoming darting figures. Mrs. Landan noticed her suffering and reached out, taking her hand. The older woman pulled resolutely on Keniera until the girl crawled to her side. Mrs. Landan wrapped her arms around her and stroked her hair while Keniera cried, her tears staining Mrs. Landan's shirt.

After a few minutes, Keniera pulled away. She stood, bringing Mrs. Landan up with her. They leaned on each other for support, both pairs of legs numb and trembling from kneeling on the rough cobblestones. Keniera drew in a shaky breath.

"Mrs. Landan, I need to get you out of here. It's not safe anymore."

The older woman closed her eyes, nodding slowly. She didn't respond for a minute or two.

"Yes. Radiant Gardens is falling apart. I can sense it." Her breath hitched as her voice broke on the last word, and she wiped at her eyes. Keniera did the same.

"Come on, I'll get you a portal." Keniera started off, choosing an open spot to open up a simple corridor, choosing Disney Town as its destination.

Mrs. Landan nodded again, and kneeled down next to her husband's body. Gently, as if he might've been sleeping, Mrs. Landan kissed his forehead and brushed the hair from his eyes.

"I'm leaving, Herb. I'll miss you, but I'll see you soon. I promise."

Mrs. Landan stood, wiping her eyes again and smearing ichor across her face. She strode over to where Keniera stood, a white portal pulsating next to her. Mrs. Landan hugged her, hard.

"He always thought of you as his daughter; he would've died for you any day. We both love you, Keniera, but I sense that you're not coming with me."

Keniera nodded solemnly. "There's something here I'm supposed to do. I can't quite figure what it is yet, but it's important. I'll find you afterwards. I think I can stop whatever's destroying the town; maybe I can still save it."

Mrs. Landan gave her a long, lingering look. "You certainly can. Your power is strong, filled to overflowing with light. But be careful," she added. "Darkness doesn't play fair; it will manipulate you in any and every way. There is a great evil lingering here, I can—"

"—Sense it." Keniera finished for her. Mrs. Landan gave her a weak smile and nodded.

"I chose for the portal to take you to Disney Town. It's a nice place, and the citizens are friendly."

Keniera had never been to another world besides Radiant Gardens; Holt had been to Disney Town a few times, and she was sure Mrs. Landan would be alright there. The older woman hugged Keniera one last time, her eyes welling with tears again.

"Be careful," she repeated. "and find me when all this is over. You're all I have left." Keniera nodded, and Mrs. Landan gingerly stepped into the portal. White light washed over her, and she was gone.

Keniera stood in place, staring at the empty air before her. Mr. Landan was dead. Mrs. Landan was gone. She had no idea where Holt was, and her world was being destroyed around her. Far off, she could hear another building collapsing; another home or business gone to ash. Keniera bit her lip, tasting blood in her mouth and focusing on the pain to keep her from breaking down in tears again. She refused to turn around, to see Mr. Landan broken on the charred cobbles behind her. Keniera sank to her knees, clasping her hands in her lap and closing her eyes. Almost immediately, she felt something brush her arm. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up, expecting a Heartless or Mr. Landan's reanimated corpse. A small pair of beady red eyes matched her gaze.

"Oh," she murmured. "It's you. What do you want?" Her voice broke on the last word, filling the silence with hurt and angst. The creature didn't reply, just gently tugged on her hand. A name floated around near the back of her head, with difficulty she latched onto it, dragging it into the light.

…**Unversed…**

_Is that what this is?_ She thought to herself. _An… Unversed? _Keniera looked at the small creature; it _did_ look vaguely familiar, like a dream she just couldn't remember clearly. The Unversed apparently wanted her to follow it; tugging at her hand, racing away from her, then coming back to tug at her some more. "Leave me alone," she whispered, "I don't want to go. Can't you just leave me alone?"

The creature sensed her resistance. It pulled at her again, trying to get her off her knees and onto her feet but she wouldn't move. There wasn't much time left, it knew. His Master needed the girl; he had sent the Unversed ahead to find her, to bring her to him before her world was destroyed. A sense of dread started to rise inside the Unversed's stomach. It was running out of time; and quickly.

The mission had not been an easy one; the creature had zipped all throughout the town, peeking in windows and inspecting every alley before it had caught wind of her name.

_The two boys were walking side by side down the street, laughing and talking loudly amongst themselves. The Unversed, unseen, was jumping from rooftop to rooftop; trying desperately to catch at least a glimpse of the girl before the attack began. Time was running out, and the Unversed paid absolutely no attention to the boys, until…_

"_...hanging out with Keniera, again!" One of the boys groaned. "I can't believe it!"_

_The Unversed went rigid. They were talking about the girl, about Keniera._

"_He's in love, Lea. That's what people in love do!"_

"_I know he's in love, Isa! But Keniera doesn't know he's in love!"_

"_He's waiting to tell her; there's a proper time for everything, Holt just wants to make sure she's ready."_

"_It's been a year! What's he waiting for? The end of the world?"_

_The Unversed shuddered. The boy, Lea, had no idea. He walked alongside his friend, his red spiked hair bouncing with every step. His clothes were a bright mixture of red, yellow, and beige. His emerald green eyes shone with an unhampered joy. Lea swung a Frisbee around his index finger carelessly, laughing at the thought of the end of the world, not knowing how soon it would actually be upon them. His friend, Isa, walked alongside him, somewhat more stoic than Lea. His blue coat fluttered quietly behind him, a small crescent moon embroidered directly over his heart. _

_Isa laughed as Lea accidentally hit himself in the head with his own Frisbee, pausing to pick up the tell-tale toy. Lea took the Frisbee from Isa, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. Isa continued laughing at Lea's blunder. Looking mischievous, Lea caught Isa in a headlock and rumpled his silver-blue hair, causing a good-natured yell from Isa as he struggled to break free. The two boys horsed around for a bit, laughing and causing passerby to chuckle silently into their hands. As the two calmed down, the Unversed leaned forward expectantly. Lea and Isa continued walking, the Unversed scrambling over the next roof to follow their conversation._

"_Anyway," Lea joked, "Holt better tell Keniera how he feels pretty soon." _

"_Why's that?" Isa tapped a finger to his chin, feigning curiosity. He already suspected what was coming._

_Lea waggled his eyebrows at Isa, and impish grin spreading across his face._

"_Keniera's fiiiiinnnnneeee! I'd snatch her up in a heartbeat!" _

_Isa laughed again. "No way she'd date a moron like you! You can't keep a girl for more than a week!"_

"_That's not true! I dated that one girl for almost two and a half weeks! You remember Mikayla!"_

"_I'm surprised you even remember her name!"_

"_Of course I remember her name! I never forget anyone, and they'll never forget me, got it memorized?" _

"_Well, I'll never forget you. Trust me, I've tried." _

_The two boys walked in silence for a minute or two, until Lea broke the silence yet again. _

"_Don't Holt and Keniera usually come down from the clearing around 6 o'clock?"_

"_Yeah," Isa answered, nodding. "Usually." Lea spun his Frisbee around his finger again. _

"_Let's grab some sea-salt ice cream and wait at the fountain for them. We'll all hang around for a while."_

_Isa smiled deviously. "I'll buy if you ask Keniera out when they show up."_

_Lea smiled back. "Deal."_

_The two boys raced towards the square, just as the clock struck 5. To the East, a faint wisp of smoke, just barely visible, floated up towards the rooftops. The Unversed stiffened, its antennae twitching wildly. It had to get to the clearing, and now. As the creature scurried over the rooftops towards the West, it reflected on the two boys. More than likely, their hearts would be stolen by the Heartless, along with countless others. Isa could save his Munny; Lea wouldn't get a chance to ask Keniera 'out'. As the wisp of smoke turned into a large, poisonous cloud, the first of many screams could just barely be heard from the Eastern District._

_The attack had begun. _

Keniera would still not get up; the Unversed was becoming desperate. It could feel its Master's frustration and anger, quickly giving way to despair. It jumped up and down frantically, trying to rouse the girl to her feet. She sat and stared at it, not giving any indication that she understood. Thoughts raced across the creature's mind; she had to get up, she had to go _now_. If she didn't… A chill ran up the Unversed's spine. Everything would crumble. The tiny light in his Master's heart would fade away and the balance between Light and Darkness would be overthrown. As the creature started to panic, a sudden idea materialized. He remembered the two boys' conversation:

"_He's in love, Lea. That's what people in love do!"_

"_I know he's in love, Isa! But Keniera doesn't know he's in love!"_

"_He's waiting to tell her; there's a proper time for everything, Holt just wants to make sure she's ready."_

"_It's been a year! What's he waiting for? The end of the world?"_

The boy would be her motivation.

Keniera saw the Unversed freeze, halting in its frantic hopping and nonsense. She gazed unemotionally at its still form. Slowly, it unfroze and made its way closer to her.

Maybe it's finally decided to be done with me, she thought stoically. It'll kill me like the Heartless did everything else… Instead, the Unversed crawled into her lap, its bright red eyes searching her own. Cautiously, it raised its strange hands to either side of her head, grasping it firmly. It leaned closer, still ever so slowly, as if afraid to startle her. Its eyes glowed even brighter as it touched its forehead to her own, and she gasped.

_Keniera could see Holt, in the square. He was bruised and bloody, gripping his Keyblade tightly. A man dressed in a black suit and mask stood opposite him, red veins decorating his outfit. A drop of blood fell from the tip of the man's Keyblade, a wicked-looking piece of metal; all sharp angles with a blue cat's-eye near the hilt. The blood dripped quietly onto the cobbles, staining the small spot where it landed a vibrant crimson color. Holt looked beaten down, hunched over but still declining defeat. A strange man stood atop the fountain, a satisfied smirk corrupting his features. His eyes were a vibrant gold, like…_

Keniera jerked violently, breaking the connection between her and the Unversed. The creature jumped back, startled at her sudden reaction. A horrible fear rose up inside her, and she leaned forward, dry heaving as she supported herself on her hands. Ten small, crescent-shaped wounds were visible on the skin just above her knees. She must've dug her fingernails into her own skin when she saw those eyes… She dry heaved again, her throat rasping. _What is wrong with me? Holt's in trouble and I'm moping! The old man… his eyes… _Keniera raised her head to look at the Unversed before her. It started jumping up and down again, gesturing frantically down an alley to her left. Shaking, she stood. The Unversed ran around her in circles, tugging on her pants. Keniera took a hesitant step forward, glancing back down at the excited creature.

"Take me to Holt." The Unversed raced to the end of the alley, and with a brisk nod, she sprinted after it.

Holt was in more pain than he'd ever experienced in his entire life. He was severely outmatched. _Whoever this guy is_, Holt thought, wincing as his heavy breathing pulled at what must be a broken rib, _he's good. _The man in the mask stood motionless before him, waiting for Holt to make a move. Holt could see himself reflected in the man's mask, his body oddly distorted and confusing in the black-tinted visor. There were cuts all over his body; some deep enough to stain his dirty white t-shirt a messy crimson. He looked beaten, reflected in the mask of his enemy. With detached interest, Holt watched as a drop of blood, a drop of _**his**_ blood, drip from the tip of the man's Keyblade. Holt studied the weapon. He had definitely never seen a weapon as sinister as the masked man's. While the old bastard's Keyblade was all silver and white, his opponent's was black and red. A blue cat's-eye gleamed from the hilt, and black chains wrapped around the Keyblade's length. The whole blade emitted a dark energy; like evil manifested in the hands of someone who knew how to use it. Holt struggled to stand straight, leaning heavily on his own Keyblade.

"Had enough yet?" The masked man asked. Holt started. Just by his _voice_, he could tell the masked man was around his own age; more like a disguised boy than a man. Holt smiled tauntingly.

"Done threatening my girlfriend?" The man, no_, boy_ stiffened. _Well,_ Holt mumbled in his head, _at least I_ wish _she was…_ Without warning, Holt's adversary raised his evil Keyblade, and brought it down in one swift chop. Holt barely managed to lift his own Keyblade to parry the attack before it severed his head from his neck. The two weapons breathed sparks as they connected. The old man watched calmly from his perch atop the fountain, his golden eyes taking in every bead of sweat, every strained muscle. The boy's strength was incredible, never relenting in his push against their connected Keyblades. Holt could feel his own strength leaving him, exhaustion finally gaining the upper hand. His vision blurred, and he felt his legs give out beneath him. Holt had fought hard and valiantly; he could at least say he had died trying to protect the one he loved. As he felt the connection between the blades break, he was barely aware of someone calling his name…

And then there was nothing.

**Well, I hope you enjoyed Chapter IV! I was trying to find the perfect spot to stop at, and**

**TADAAAAA!**

**There it was! So, as always, READ AND REVIEW! Please, I need to know what you guys think so that I can have motivation and inspiration and stuff and whatever! **

**PLEASE I BEG OF YOU PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**

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	5. Hearts of Gold: Chapter V

**Hearts of Gold: Chapter V**

**HELLO! So, on Chapter 4, my scene-dividers didn't work, so I'm sorry if it seems like it's all 'mashed' together. From now on, I will be using 0*0*0*0's to divide scenes or mini-chapters. Also, there has been some questioning as to whether or not Holt actually DIED. Never assume anything; my stories are like my moods, they change constantly, tend to get on people's nerves, and are unpredictable. One thing I can never stress enough: DO NOT ASSUME. If you try, then more than likely you will become confused. To those who did assume, I forgive you with all my heart! 3! Please read and review! **

**Holt: Did I die? Am I dead? I'm dead, aren't I?**

**KpCw: *facedesk***

**Keniera: (sighs) Please enjoy Chapter V of Hearts of Gold. *pokes author with a stick***

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS! IS IT SO WRONG TO WISH I DID?**

Hearts of Gold: Chapter V

_"Had enough yet?" The masked man asked. Holt started. Just by his voice, he could tell the masked man was around his own age; more like a disguised boy than a man. Holt smiled tauntingly._

"_Done threatening my girlfriend?" The man, no, _boy_ stiffened. _Well,_ Holt mumbled in his head, _at least I wish she was… _Without warning, Holt's adversary raised his evil Keyblade, and brought it down in one swift chop. Holt barely managed to lift his own Keyblade to parry the attack before it severed his head from his neck. The two weapons breathed sparks as they connected. The old man watched calmly from his perch atop the fountain, his golden eyes taking in every bead of sweat, every strained muscle. The boy's strength was incredible, never relenting in his push against their connected Keyblades. Holt could feel his own strength leaving him, exhaustion finally gaining the upper hand. His vision blurred, and he felt his legs give out beneath him. Holt had fought hard and valiantly; he could at least say he had died trying to protect the one he loved. As he felt the connection between the blades break, he was barely aware of someone calling his name…_

_And then there was nothing._

0*0*0*0*0*0

"HOLT!"

Keniera screamed his name as she watched him collapse, his Keyblade fading from his hands as he landed on his back. His eyes were closed.

"HOLT! HOLT!" _Please not Holt, I'm too late too late too late…_ her mind repeated over and over, chanting those two words until they no longer held any meaning in her head. Keniera, sobbing, raised her gaze from her fallen friend and focused on his assailant, his Keyblade hovering just inches from piercing Holt's heart. Her eyes narrowed and she saw red through her tears, giving everything in the square a hellish, watery tint. Summoning her Keyblade, she screamed and charged at the masked man. He stood motionless, seemingly frozen to the spot, his helmet aimed in her direction. _Good_, she thought malevolently, _watch me kill you_. She let out another agonized scream, her words incoherent, and raised her Keyblade above her head. Still, the man didn't move. Keniera was about halfway across the square now, her hair flying wildly around her and her eyes filled with an anger and hate she didn't think she could possess. The old man atop the fountain watched her advance with an evil grin on his face. With a slight wave of his hand, he disappeared in a swirl of darkness…

… and materialized a foot or two in front of Keniera. Caught off guard, she stumbled over a loose cobblestone and fell hard on her right wrist, wincing in pain as the small bones beneath the skin snapped. Keniera pulled the shattered wrist out from beneath her, inspecting the damage, when a large black boot slammed down on top of it. She howled with agony, causing a smirk to spread across the old man's face. Keniera looked up into his face, her eyes filled with pain and hate. His glowed bright gold and she could see a heart black as midnight behind them. Letting her Keyblade dissipate from her now-incapacitated right hand, she summoned it again in her left and swung it toward the old man's feet. He stopped the attack with a slight twist of his foot, causing her to cry out again. Keniera's wrist was turning a disgusting shade of purple, small bumps in her skin showing the location of the broken bones. Angry tears flooded her eyes as the man kneeled down before her, putting even more pressure on her wrist. The old man brought his face level with hers, blowing sour breath in her face as he laughed. The sound sent chills up her spine, and his evil golden eyes bore holes into the flesh of her face.

"Well, Keniera, I didn't expect to take you down so easily. What happened to all your spunk?"

She spat in his face.

"That enough 'spunk' for you?" Her voice was filled with all the loathing and sarcasm she could muster, imagining her words as poison. In a flash, the old man was on his feet, and she was dangling from his hand, holding firmly onto her throat, his other hand calmly wiping the saliva from his face. Completely surprised by his speed and strength, Keniera gasped as his hand tightened promptly around her windpipe, preventing the air from reaching her lungs. Desperately, she clawed at the old man's hand with both her own, tearing his snow-white gloves with her fingernails. Keniera choked loudly as the old man smiled.

"Actually, I think that was a little too much spunk."

The masked man behind them released his hold on his Keyblade, letting it disappear in a swirl of black and purple. He deftly stepped over Holt's unconscious body and faced the old man's back, struggling to say something. His voice was strained, almost like his tongue refused to obey his mind, but his words were heard nonetheless.

"Let her go, Xehanort."

0*0*0*0*0*0*

The old man, Xehanort, stiffened; his hand, however, didn't release its hold on Keniera's throat. She could barely see Holt lying behind the masked man who had spoken_. Please, Holt_, she pleaded in her mind_, wake up wake up wake up_… Keniera's thoughts were growing fuzzy, and black spots started to dance before her eyes; her lungs burned for air. Xehanort laughed, low and deadly.

"And why would I do that?" He turned his head slowly to look at the man.

"Because this world is falling apart; there's not much time left before it goes to the darkness completely. Let her die on her own, or let the Heartless get her." The masked man spoke with indifference.

Xehanort laughed again; the sound angry and mirthless. He squeezed her throat even tighter. Keniera didn't feel it; she was already oblivious to everything around her. Her brain was in shutdown mode, her clawing at Xehanort's hands becoming feeble and unthreatening, the life fading from her eyes. Xehanort turned to look her in the face once more, before dropping her to the ground. Keniera sucked in an eager breath, coughing when her lungs rejected it before pulling in another. She lay on the floor of the square, her face pressed into the smooth cobblestones as she dry heaved and gasped. She was alive, at least.

"You're right, my boy. I wouldn't want to get my hands dirty." Xehanort turned to look at the man.

"But I don't think we should just leave her to die slowly; no, that would be… heartless…" Xehanort flashed the man a malevolent smirk as he walked past him, his hands folded neatly behind his back. His gloves were torn and stained with blood from Keniera's fingernails, but he didn't seem to notice or care. The man in the mask started slightly, he hadn't expected _that_ answer. Ridicule, maybe. Fighting, anger, suspicion; but agreement? He had never planned for _that_.

Xehanort stopped just in front of Holt's body, disinterestedly kicking him in the side. Holt uttered a small moan, sounding suspiciously like 'Keniera,' and the old man rolled his eyes_. Love_, the old man thought, _such a useless emotion_. Returning to his conversation with the masked man, his apprentice, Xehanort tapped a finger to his chin in mock wonder while tapping his foot.

"What should we do with her? Hmmm…" Xehanort snapped his fingers, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Ah, yes. Perfect."

The masked man jolted; multiple, gruesome deaths flashed through his mind.

"What?"

"The answer's obvious. You kill her, Vanitas." 

0*0*0*0*0*0

Vanitas? Keniera's breath hitched in her chest, her mind sluggishly trying to process what that name meant... A memory floated back to her, her brain working overdrive to remember completely:

_After hours and hours making fruitless conjectures and diagnostics, the doctors simply stopped testing on the comatose girl and sat back to see if she would wake up on her own, twenty-nine days into her stay. A nurse the next morning, coming to check the girl's heartbeat and vitals, was surprised to find her sitting up and looking around the room in a haze with no recollection of her former life, other than waking up in the hospital. She was physically fine; all her injuries had healed in their own time. Her eyes had changed, just slightly enough to confound the doctors. Instead of remaining the same sky-blue, they had developed a strange ring of brownish-gold around the irises. They quickly dismissed the anomaly and focused more on her memory. The only thing the girl seemed to know was her name, Keniera, and the name of another; Vanitas._

_ I know him_, Keniera thought, lifting herself up to support herself on her left arm. _Somehow, I know him, his name… _She kept her right wrist close against her body as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Both men were facing away from her; now was her only chance. Keniera summoned her Keyblade in her left hand, and concentrated as hard as her oxygen-deprived brain allowed her. She opened her eyes just in time to see a white portal open up on the ground beneath Holt, his body sinking into the folds of white light. The two men started, surprised at the portal's sudden appearance. The old man quickly reached towards it, possibly to try and pull Holt back out, but Keniera managed to close it before his hand reached its glow. Opening up a portal and closing it so quickly in her condition obviously sapped her strength, and she slumped back down onto the cobblestones.

Holt was safe; she had sent him to Disney Town just like Mrs. Landan. Reassurance flowed through her body, comforting her. Holt would be alright. Keniera, however, was not so lucky. She could barely lift her head and watch as Xehanort raised his hand toward Vanitas, black smoke issuing from his fingertips and surrounding the apprentice. Vanitas' fists clenched at his side, and a small ring of light surrounded him, trying to fight the darkness away.

"No, I'm not—You're not going to make me do this!" Vanitas yelled, and the light seemed to grow brighter, pushing the black cloud away.

"Aren't I? I created you from darkness, Vanitas! You owe me _everything_, and you will do as I say, or so help me I'll kill her myself and you'll watch!"

Vanitas was still struggling against the darkness; his strain apparent in his stance, even from behind. His feet were a shoulder-length apart, his hands clenching and unclenching, his back rigid and straight as an arrow.

"How would it feel, Vanitas, to watch her die by my hand? To hear her screaming, hear her pain?" Xehanort's voice was dangerously low.

"She'll be tortured; you can be sure, for days on end. _Days_. I'll even allow Braig to use her for target practice… And, well, you know how Braig gets…"

Vanitas seemed conflicted by that final statement, and his shoulders slumped with an angry sigh. His fists were still clenched, and the thin shield of light shrunk back into his skin. Xehanort chuckled.

"Wise choice, my boy."

Vanitas let out a pained gasp as the darkness overtook him, imbedding itself in his skin. Keniera could only watch as the darkness eventually filled him to overflowing, his body shaking uncontrollably as the darkness commandeered his senses. After a few moments, the trembling stopped and he stood motionless as Xehanort lowered his hand. A dark portal appeared behind him, blowing the old man's cloak around his feet.

"Finish her off," Xehanort commanded nonchalantly, "and destroy this world completely once you've finished."

Vanitas nodded stiffly as his Master disappeared into the black corridor. After a few moments, he stretched, popping the vertebrae in his back. Summoning his Keyblade, he turned to face his victim. A small blue shadow appeared at his feet, slowly rising up to reveal a familiar blue Unversed, finally emerging from its hiding place in the shadows. Keniera, lying on the ground at her executioner's feet; far too weak to defend herself, glared at the monster. _You little…_ she started thinking, but was cut off as Vanitas started a slow stride toward where she lay, his Keyblade glinting evilly in the dying light of the black embers strewn about the square. Keniera closed her eyes, praying for some sort of miracle. In response, unconsciousness finally took her before she could witness her fate.

0*0*0*0*0*0

**Chapter V! Yay! We're really getting into the nitty-gritty here, aren't we? As always, read and review! This chapter especially was a little hard to write, with my super-huge case of writer's block! Thanks to CLJR for her help on that! 3 you! So yeah, I think that's it! OH WAIT I FORGOT! The first one to review this chapter gets a surprise! ; 3 (Just a little incentive!) Ready, set, GO!**


	6. Hearts of Gold: Chapter VI

**Hearts of Gold: Chapter VI**

**Chapter VI! And a day before Turkey Day, to top it all off! Turkey for everyone!**

***gnaws on oversized piece of turkey happily***

**I love turkey! So anyway, props to **_**Arthur-the-original-thirteenth-member**_** for reviewing first, earning the surprise! It was a sneak peek into the next couple of chapters! (That was the surprise, **_**cljr!**_**)**

**Yay! Oh, and since Keniera and Holt have been separated on different worlds, I will be doing some parts of the chapter in different POV's! On with the new chapter!**

**Holt: Yay!**

**Keniera: Yay!**

**Vanitas: Whatever. Just get to the part I'm in.**

**KpCw: Alrighty then!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS! MUST WE GO OVER THIS AGAIN?**

**0*0*0*0*0*0**

_"Finish her off," Xehanort commanded nonchalantly, "and destroy this world completely once you've finished."_

_Vanitas nodded stiffly as his Master disappeared into the black corridor. After a few moments, he stretched, popping the vertebrae in his back. Summoning his Keyblade, he turned to face his victim. A small blue shadow appeared at his feet, slowly rising up to reveal a familiar blue Unversed, finally emerging from its hiding place in the shadows. Keniera, lying on the ground at her executioner's feet; far too weak to defend herself, glared at the monster. _You little_… she started thinking, but was cut off as Vanitas started a slow stride toward where she lay, his Keyblade glinting evilly in the dying light of the black embers strewn about the square. Keniera closed her eyes, praying for some sort of miracle. In response, unconsciousness finally took her before she could witness her fate._

0*0*0 ***Keniera*** 0*0*0

Keniera came to with a start, jerking up to find herself in the clearing; the same one she and Holt had been training in just a few hours ago. The grass was brown and crunchy, the skies grey and mirthless. The trees seemed to hunch over and dry out before her eyes and the wildflowers that used to grow in abundance around the clearing withered as if from a plague. The effects of a dying world, brought into motion in just a few hours. _It seems so much longer, though. How did things go wrong so quickly?_ A faint hope rising in her chest, Keniera closed her eyes, hoping with all her heart that it had all been a dream, that she had fallen asleep while hanging out with Holt, that her world wasn't being destroyed, that a mysterious man from her past hadn't returned with his sadistic master to kill her, that…

"So, you're finally awake."

Keniera opened her eyes slowly to see Vanitas leaning casually against a small tree, arms folded across his chest and one foot propped up on the tree behind him. Her heart sank; she wasn't dreaming. It had all been real. Mr. Landan was dead, Mrs. Landan and Holt were gone, her world was slowly crumbling around her, and the second-in-command to the cause was standing before her.

And yet she was still alive.

0*0*0*0*0*0

"Why aren't I dead?" she demanded, slowly rising to her feet. Keniera cradled her broken wrist to her chest, wishing despairingly for a potion or vial of dittany. Anything from the pain she was in now. She could feel his eyes on her; watching her from behind his black mask. Vanitas chuckled and pushed off from the tree, advancing towards her. She backed away quickly, tripping over an exposed root. Keniera couldn't maintain her balance, and started to fall. Just before she hit the ground, a black-gloved hand reached out and took her by her good wrist, halting her fall before she caused further injury to herself. Vanitas pulled her back up to her feet, and they stood motionless for a moment or two. Keniera felt as if she couldn't breathe; his presence stole her breath and caused her heart to race inside her chest. A strange tingling traveled across her skin from where his hand held hers. She could feel the sensation even with his gloves covering his own skin. Keniera found herself looking up into his mask, wishing he would take it off, wondering what his face looked like. She could only imagine what his eyes would look like; maybe a startling blue, or a vivid green, or maybe even a deep brown like Holt's…

At the thought of Holt, of where he was and what state he was in, Keniera crashed back into reality. With a start, she gasped and tried to yank herself free, but his grip was like iron. He drew his Keyblade, aiming it at her chest. Again she tried to break away or fight back, but she was useless. Keniera was still ridiculously weak, and she knew she couldn't beat Vanitas using only one hand. Still, she struggled on. Vanitas sighed.

"You're not dead, because I don't want you to be." Gently, he placed the tip of his Keyblade on her shattered wrist. "Heal." He mumbled. A bright green light erupted from the tip of his Keyblade, and small green leaves fell across her wrist, healing it completely. Vanitas released her hand and Keniera yanked it back, though considerably gentler. She consciously rubbed her now-healed wrist, stretching it out and flexing it.

Without giving him thanks, she looked up into his mask again, her eyes curious but still suspicious.

"Why wouldn't you want me dead? Isn't that your _job_? Kill everyone and destroy everything your 'Master' tells you to?" She put an insane amount of scorn into her voice; Keniera wanted him to hurt.

Vanitas sighed again, placing a hand on the side of his helmet. Keniera found herself hoping he would lift it off so she could see his face. She crushed that hope before it became apparent on her face.

"Yes and no," he answered, lowering his head to face the ground. "It's my job, but I don't have a choice. I'm completely submissive. I have to be. If I don't…" Vanitas trailed off, and then continued once again.

"Master Xehanort doesn't like to do the dirty work; he has a _reputation_ to upkeep. I'm sent in to do the pillaging and plundering and murdering and whatever. I try to resist, but I can't. He has complete control over me. Most of the time." His voice was filled with pain; Keniera felt the need to take his hand in hers and tell him that she forgave him, to comfort him. Almost of its own accord, her hand reached out to his, but she yanked it back down before he could see. She shook her head to clear it of the absurd thoughts. _What is wrong with me? He doesn't deserve sympathy!_ Something he had said, however, had caught her attention.

"What do you mean, 'if I don't'?" Vanitas kept his head bowed and made his way over to the stump in the center of the clearing, slumping down heavily.

"If I refuse, if I try to fight it, then he threatens the only thing I have; my only hope for salvation."

Keniera was becoming more and more curious, wondering about this strange boy from her past. She kneeled down in front of him, balancing on the balls of her feet and resting her arms across her knees, completely disregarding her suspicion for a moment, hungry for understanding.

"And what would that be? Your salvation, I mean."

Vanitas raised his helmeted face to look into her own, his expression hidden from her sight.

"You."

0*0*0*0*0*0

Keniera felt all the air expel from her lungs. Her heart shuddered, and she fell back onto her rear, scooting away from him as if he had pushed her.

"Wh-what? Me? But, but I don't even know you! Someone just dumped me off here almost two years ago! I—"

"I had to drop you here; I thought I could break away from Xehanort if he couldn't find you, that I could defeat him and not have to worry about you being hurt or killed or tortured. You heard what he said in the square; he would've given you to _Braig_." Vanitas said both their names with an apparent hate, as if they left a nasty taste in his mouth. "I had to get you away."

Keniera tried to process this; he had been… _protecting_ her? From the old man?

Keniera pulled her knees up to her chest, still sitting on the ground, her heart beating frantically inside her chest. She swallowed painfully, and spoke up.

"You dropped me here?" Vanitas nodded. "Why? And why take my memories?"

"I already told you why, I thought I could bring Xehanort down with you out of trouble. I had to take your memories so that you wouldn't follow me or try to stop me; it was hard enough to bring up the idea with you, much less put it into action against your stubborn ways. You always hated being the damsel in distress, Keniera; no matter how much simpler it would've made things…" Keniera was about to let loose a smart remark about that particular comment when Vanitas' head shot up. He quickly raised a hand to halt her retort, and she fell silent.

"Quiet." Vanitas' voice was barely above a whisper. Keniera strained as hard as she could, but heard nothing. "What?"

"_Quiet_."

Unsure, Keniera glanced up and searched the clearing with her eyes, searching for the source of Vanitas' concern.

"I don't see anything; what's wrong?" She whispered as quietly as she could muster. Vanitas didn't answer, instead he stood slowly and summoned a huge Keyblade, letting it rest at his side. Keniera had to stifle a gasp as she took the sight of it in. It was as tall if not taller than Vanitas himself, and looked more like a huge broadsword than the blades most Keyblade wielders bore. The blade was long and wickedly sharp, the hilt in the shape of two Kingdom Keys crossed over each other. The Keychain hanging from the guard clinked softly, an exact replica of the Keyblade itself. Keniera noticed that the two blades forming the hilt and guard were nearly identical to her own Keyblade with the exception of color. Whereas the hilt on the two Keys was a yellowed gold, hers was almost a platinum-like color. She pondered this a moment before Vanitas spoke, raising his voice just a bit so she could hear him clearly in the empty clearing.

"Master Xehanort can sense that I haven't destroyed this world yet; he's getting suspicious. If I don't do this soon, he'll know I haven't killed you yet and come to do it himself."

Keniera got his point a second too late, and Vanitas plunged the tip of the massive Keyblade into the ground at his feet. The sky above them turned a deep purple, and large cracks spread out along the earth from the Keyblade's entrance. Green light issued from the depths of the fissures, and the air was filled with an awful sound as the world tore itself in half. Keniera jumped to her feet, scrambling backwards to avoid the cracks advancing around her.

"Are you crazy? What are you doing?" Keniera screamed at him, covering her ears with her hands to block out the horrible noise of the dying world. It sounded like a scream, as if Radiant Gardens itself could feel the pain of its demise. Vanitas pulled the Keyblade out of the ground and let it dissipate into the air. Running towards her, he grabbed her by the wrist with one hand and opened a black portal with the other.

"I'm saving your life; again."

Keniera let him pull her behind him, questioning her judgment on trusting him temporarily. Hesitating just as they entered the portal to look at what had once been her home; Keniera said her silent goodbyes before Vanitas' hand pulled her into the portal with him. Darkness swirled around her, and Radiant Gardens disappeared.

0*0*0*0*0*0

Vanitas never let go of Keniera's hand as they traveled through the portal, afraid that she would run away from him and be lost in the darkness that surrounded them. Traveling through dark corridors was never easy; even professionals were sometimes lost to the black swirls surrounding them. Almost unconsciously, he gripped her hand even harder, his knuckles white beneath his black gloves. Keniera didn't even notice. As they walked through the darkness, hand in hand, her mind inexplicably wandered back to Radiant Gardens, now lost forever. The Flower Shop had been destroyed, one of its owners dead. Her friends had either been killed or scattered; Mrs. Landan, Holt, Merlin, Isa, Lea, Kairi… Keniera's heart shuddered at the thought of Kairi. _What if she was left behind? Or sent somewhere else, all alone?_ _What if a Heartless…?_ A small sob escaped her throat.

"Oh no, _Kairi…_"

"She's fine." Vanitas answered her unspoken question, not pausing to turn around. Keniera blinked back tears, trying to focus in on his form, blending so easily with the darkness surrounding them.

"What? How do you—"

"I sent her somewhere else. Somewhere she'd be okay. In fact, we're headed there now." As he spoke, a pinprick of light appeared some distance ahead of them. As they approached, it grew bigger and brighter; Keniera could see forms taking shape through it. _Are those… palm trees? _Her curiosity once again taking the upper hand, Keniera sped up her pace. Vanitas matched her, and soon enough they were both running towards the light; desperate to escape the black grip of the dark portal.

0*0*0 ***Holt*** 0*0*0

Pain was what registered first. The pain was scattered across his body, in multiple broken ribs and cuts and scratches. Holt's head pounded, as if his brain was beating against his skull with a jackhammer, and his mouth was as dry as hot cotton. A bright light burned through his eyelids, and the smell of his own blood was making his stomach roll. As Holt struggled to open his eyes, his battle with the masked boy came back to him in a rush and he groaned, letting his eyes fall shut again. He had been in Radiant Gardens, and he had met that old bastard and his lackey, and they had mentioned Keniera…

_Oh God, _Keniera_! _

_Even though he was too far away for Holt to have possibly heard him, the old man's voice reached Holt's ears, raspy and hoarse, as if unused for years. _

"_Ah, not so, lad. But my suspicions have been confirmed, Keniera is here! Don't blame me; It was not I who abandoned the girl here," a wicked smile pulled at the man's mouth, revealing nastily pointed teeth. "But I can assure you, you won't have to worry about her for long, my boy. If she's not dead already, she will be when I catch her!"_

Holt shot up, jumping to his feet and ignoring the way his head spun and stomach clenched. He opened his eyes and started forward when something hit him. First of all, he wasn't dead. The boy with the mask should've finished him off; he had the advantage and Holt had been defenseless, so why had he been spared? That first question was quickly followed by a second. And how did he get to Disney Town?

Holt had no doubt in his mind that he was in Disney Town. He had been there once or twice already, and even with one trip Disney Town was unforgettable. Houses and buildings of every shape and size surrounded him, painted overly-cheery colors of yellow, blue, pink, and green. Comically dilapidated benches and light posts were scattered around the Town Square in which he stood, and large flower pots surrounded a beautiful white gazebo in its center. Balloons were strung everywhere in colorful clusters, and banners bearing the title **Dream Festival** were hung on every home. As Holt stepped farther into the plaza, a horse-like man strolled over to the stage placed at Holt's right, and started talking to a mouse in an icing-pink dress, waving his hands animatedly. Holt recognized both of the townsfolk, the horse-man being Horace Horsecollar and the mouse being Queen Minnie.

Pausing for a second, he saw the queen's eyes wander from Horace to land on him. Her hand flew to her mouth, and Holt guessed that he must look about as bad as he felt. Soon, Horace noticed her distress and turned to face him, a shocked look crossing his elongated features. Dropping their conversation, Minnie rushed over to Holt, her pink skirts rustling, and he immediately kneeled before the Queen.

"Oh stop that, Holt! You're hurt, don't kneel!" Queen Minnie's voice squeaked with worry, and Horace came to stand beside her. Holt straightened up again, holding a bruise on his stomach.

"Holt, what's happened to ya? Get into a fight?" Horace asked and Holt blinked, surprised at their use of his name.

"You two remember me?" Despite the circumstances, Horace laughed.

"You think we coulda forgot the famous Holt Stayde? The same one who beat Pete six times in a row in the Rumble Races? Pete wouldn't ever let us forget how you _cheated_ your way to the trophy!" He laughed again, and Holt joined him; wincing in pain as his laughter pulled on a broken rib.

"Pete's still crying over _that_? I beat him fair and square, too!" The Queen harrumphed, and both men looked down at her, her white-gloved arms crossed over her chest, a small frown on her face.

"Well, if you two are done chatting, I see a young man who needs immediate medical attention."

Holt shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I can't stay. My world's in big, BIG trouble."

The Queen faltered for a moment, but then reached up and took his large hand in her small one.

"Well, then we'll have Donald fetch you a potion. But you're not leaving my kingdom without being properly healed first." As she led him towards the castle, Holt admitted to himself that he wouldn't be any help to Keniera or Radiant Gardens in his condition.

_Keniera'll be alright_, he thought to himself, trying to reassure his frayed nerves. _She knows the town like the back of her hand, she's amazing with her Keyblade, and she can portal anywhere she needs to; she's not a little girl, and she's not a damsel in distress. She hates anyone thinking otherwise._

Still, the thoughts did little to calm his frantic heart. Holt knew she would think he was ridiculous for worrying so much about her, but that old man and his partner… They had been serious. He had to get healed and get to her, fast. As the troop neared the castle gates, he raised a hand over his heart and closed his eyes.

_Keniera, I'll find you. Please, _please_ be okay. _

0*0*0 ***Keniera*** 0*0*0

Keniera and Vanitas toppled out of the portal, tripping over their own eager feet and landing in a pile just outside the portal, tangled up in a mess of arms and legs. As the two lay groaning, the portal disappeared behind them, and Keniera just managed to raise her head to take in her surroundings. A breathy gasp escaped her lips, and her eyes widened. Before her was the most beautiful sunrise she had ever seen, golds and pinks and blues all combined together just over the horizon of an ocean. As Keniera and Vanitas managed to disengage themselves from each other, a light breeze blew the scent of sand and foliage and sea-salt through Keniera's hair. Absentmindedly, she pushed it out of her face and behind her ear, unaware that Vanitas was watching her. He caught himself and turned before she noticed him staring, standing suddenly and stretching his arms above his head. Keniera winced as she heard him cracking his knuckles and popping his back. She remained on the ground, running her fingers through the soft white sand surrounding her. Sunlight glinted off the small waves of the ocean, and seagulls cried out above her, signaling intruders. Keniera brushed the sand from her hands and stood up next to Vanitas, looking all around her. A large, wooden playhouse sat just to their right, with walkways extending out towards a small raised section of beach to their left. A large palm tree grew on the raised section, bent at an odd angle.

_You could just walk up there and sit on the tree_, she mused, _a built-in bench. _Oddly shaped yellow fruit hung from the tree, high up in the branches. Looking closer, Keniera could just manage to make out its shape. A star.

"Where are we?" Keniera turned to Vanitas, gesturing around her to enunciate her question. She noticed that he refused to face her, almost as if he was afraid to look at her. Again Keniera caught herself wishing he would take off his mask, but he didn't.

Vanitas folded his arms behind his head and stuck a foot out, sighing. Keniera could see and sense him relax almost imperceptibly.

"Welcome to Destiny Islands."

0*0*0*0*0*0

**So, that is officially the longest chapter so far, with 3,500 words! Yay me! This is my favorite chapter so far, since it is in DESTINY ISLANDS (my favorite world EVER) and we get to meet some of the island's most BELOVED residents! (I think you know the two certain boys I'm talking about!) Unfortunately, I realized that Xehanort is ALSO from Destiny Islands! XC**

**Well whatever. I still love Destiny Islands! Yay Destiny Islands! Oh, and sorry that Holt's section is so short. There's not a lot planned for his side of the story yet… So anyway; READ, REVIEW, and HAVE A HAPPY EARLY TURKEY DAY! **


	7. Hearts of Gold: Chapter VII

Hearts of Gold: Chapter VII

**Hiya! KpCw here! Hopefully y'all had a good Turkey Day! I know I did! (If you don't know what that is it's Thanksgiving here in America.) Also, there's a contest going on for my story! Read about the deets at the end of the chapter! So, without further ado, here's chapter VII!**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANYTHING EXPENSIVE LIKE THAT.**

**0*0*0*0*0*0**

"_Where are we?" Keniera turned to Vanitas, gesturing around her to enunciate her question. She noticed that he refused to face her, almost as if he was afraid to look at her. Again Keniera caught herself wishing he would take off his mask, but he didn't._

_Vanitas folded his arms behind his head and stuck a foot out, sighing. Keniera could see and sense him relax almost imperceptibly._

"_Welcome to Destiny Islands."_

0*0*0 ***Keniera*** 0*0*0

"Destiny Islands…" Keniera repeated, gazing out towards the ocean again. Vanitas glanced around them and noticed a small group of children near the playhouse. As he watched, two broke away from the group and started a race towards the shoreline, their feet kicking up waves of sand behind them. Not wanting to be seen, he took Keniera by the wrist and pulled her back into some foliage, concealing them from view.

"What's going on? Why're we hiding?"

Vanitas didn't answer and kept watching the two boys, stiffening when one of them turned to look where they sat hidden. Without ceremony, he placed his hand over Keniera's mouth, muffling the stream of questions that continuously came from her mouth. She froze too, expecting the worst. After a while, the boy turned back to his companion and they sat on the beach. Vanitas relaxed again and removed his hand from Keniera's mouth.

"It wouldn't be a good idea for us to be seen here like this; two strangers looking like they'd just escaped from the bowels of Hell."

Keniera had to stifle a giggle, covering her face with a hand. Vanitas looked at her.

"What's so funny?"

"You said 'bowels'!" Keniera started giggling harder and Vanitas rolled his eyes behind his mask.

"Oy, you're a handful, you know that? Come on, it's time we got some different clothes. You especially. You look like you've been hit by a flaming train."

Keniera ceased her giggling at the insult, and glanced down at herself. Her grey t-shirt and black capris were scorched and torn in multiple places, and she could only imagine what her face and hair looked like. Blushing, she nodded.

"Yeah, let's go."

In the town, Vanitas stayed hidden while Keniera bought some clothes for the both of them. The shopkeeper; a nice old man with silver hair and bright blue eyes, was immediately concerned with her appearance and asked whether or not she was alright. Feigning innocence, she explained that she had been playing with a wily Firaga spell and things had gotten out of hand. After inspecting her thoroughly for any injuries, he finally bought her lie and gave her some new clothes free of charge. As she exited the shop, tears unwillingly sprang into her eyes. _So nice to me,_ she thought, _just like Mr. Landan…_ Vanitas had been waiting for her between a couple of buildings, deep in the shadows to avoid being seen. As she approached, he pushed off from the wall he'd been leaning against and took the clothes she handed to him.

"I'm going to find a room somewhere. I'm covered in soot and I probably stink to high heaven."

Not paying attention, Vanitas nodded and was rewarded with a smack to the side of the helmet.

"What was _that_ for?"

"You're not supposed to _agree_ that I stink!"

"I never agreed that you stink, you smell fine!"

"You nodded when I said I stink. That counts as agreeing." Keniera pointed out. Vanitas threw his hands in the air, keeping a firm grip on his new clothes.

"Whatever. Girls are just too hard to understand. When you're done getting ready, meet me down at the docks. You probably want to hear my story, huh?"

Keniera nodded. Vanitas turned and walked down the alley, conjuring up another dark portal and disappearing inside. Hugging her clothes to her chest, Keniera exited the alley and asked a local where she could rent a room. Also concerned with her appearance, the local hesitated before pointing out a small hotel down a street to her right. Setting off, Keniera hustled towards a clean room and a shower.

_And some answers_, she added in her mind.

0*0*0 ***Holt*** 0*0*0

Holt, now fully healed and rearing to start his return to Radiant Gardens, thanked Queen Minnie, Donald Duck, and Horace Horsecollar and opened up a light portal with his Keyblade.

"Be careful, Holt," Queen Minnie called behind him. "We wouldn't want to lose you, you know."

"Oh, he'll be fine, Your Majesty!" Horace reassured her, "He'll beat those two bad guys sure as sugar. And then he'll come back and show Pete a rematch in Rumble Racing!" Holt turned around and gave the three a goofy grin.

"You bet I will!"

Without any further goodbyes, Holt stepped into his portal and left Disney Town.

The three characters stood silent for a moment before dispersing to their duties. Horace started cleaning up the confetti scattered around the town from their Dream Festival, Donald left to find Goofy and tell him about the dangerous old man and his companion in case of attack, and Queen Minnie returned to the castle to run Disney Town in her husband's absence. However, the Queen couldn't shake the feeling that something awful was stirring, that soon their worlds would all be in jeopardy.

Holt stepped into nothing, blackness surrounding him as he exited his portal.

"Huh? What's going on? Where's the town? My home?" As far as he could see, there was darkness. There was no ground beneath his feet and no sky above his head.

There was absolutely nothing left.

Holt fell to his knees, his arms hanging limply at his sides. Realization set in, and Holt was not one to believe in denial. His world, Radiant Gardens, was gone. _If nothing's left, then where are all my friends? And where's Keniera? _A strong sense of despair came over him, and Holt bit into his knuckle to keep him from sobbing aloud. "She's not gone, she _can't_ be gone; I'd _know_ if she was gone, I'd _feel _it…" Holt buried his head in his hands, frowning as he felt a hot tear streak down his face. _Those two men; I'll kill them for this!_ Holt felt his grief give way to anger and he rose to his feet. _But first I'll find Keniera. She's gotta be somewhere; I just have to start looking. _Summoning his Keyblade, Holt opened a portal to the first world he thought of; the Dwarf Woodlands.

0*0*0 ***Keniera*** 0*0*0

Keniera made her way to the docks; her dry, clean hair left down and her freshly-scrubbed skin warm and tingly, free of all soot and blood. The clothes the shopkeeper had given her fit perfectly and blended in nicely with the local attire; long, baggy khaki pants with an unnecessary amount of pockets, a pale blue, short-sleeved tunic and a pair of white tennis shoes. The pockets of her pants already carried a few items she had found on her way to the beach: a seagull's feather, a silver chain, a charm in the shape of a star, and a bright red button. Absentmindedly, she pulled the seagull feather out and stroked it between her fingers, her eyes scouring the docks for Vanitas_. I wonder if he took off his helmet,_ she wondered. _He knows it would draw attention to him if he wore those new clothes with a black face mask… _A sudden realization hit her.

_How am I supposed to find him if I don't know what he looks like?_

As if sensing her dilemma, a black-gloved hand reached out behind her and took her arm. Startled, Keniera screamed and sank her teeth into the hand.

"OUCH! Keniera, it's me! What the hell?"

Keniera felt her face turn a vibrant red as she turned around to see Vanitas behind her, holding his bleeding hand to his chest. He still wore his mask and red-and black suit, the visor concealing his features.

"I'm sorry. I—you caught me off guard and—well I'm still jumpy I guess—and you're so _quiet_, you—I—"

Keniera closed her mouth with a small pop, determined not to make any more a fool of herself.

"Let me see your hand." She reached forward, but Vanitas pulled away.

"You gonna bite it off? Put it out of its misery?" Keniera laughed, and took the injured hand into her own.

"No, I just got these clothes; I wouldn't want ugly blood stains all over them!" Vanitas rolled his unseen eyes behind his mask.

"So glad you're worrying about my well-being, even though I _did_ save your life. Twice, I might add."

Keniera harrumphed and dug around in one of her many pockets, pulling out a small vial.

"What's that?" Vanitas eyed the vial suspiciously.

"It's essence of dittany. It's kind of like a potion." Keniera answered as she pulled off Vanitas' glove, adding a mumbled 'sorry' as the fabric rubbed the bite wound. Keniera pulled a dropper from the vial, letting a few drops fall onto the wound. Vanitas hissed through his teeth as the dittany healed his hand.

"It stings."

"That means its working, moron." Keniera replaced the vial in her pocket, and held Vanitas' hand in both of hers as she watched the wound stitch itself up. His hand was cold, and Keniera unconsciously squeezed it harder to warm it up. Vanitas' hands were rough and calloused, and Keniera could faintly see blue veins beneath the skin. Vanitas watched her face from behind his mask, his eyes following hers as she studied his hands. Keniera's hands on his own were warm, and he could feel the warmth spreading all the way down his arm. Too soon the wound was gone, and she released her grip on his hand.

"There. All better now, right?" Vanitas shook himself mentally, and pulled his glove back on.

"Yeah, as long as I don't get rabies then I should be fine." Keniera smiled and shook her head, but her eyes still stayed on his hand.

0*0*0*0*0*0

Keniera and Vanitas sat on the edge of the dock, their legs dangling over the edge and their feet just inches from the cool water. The sun shone down on them, and Vanitas found the inside of his skin-tight armor getting uncomfortably warm; whether from the sun or Keniera sitting so close, he didn't know. Keniera turned to face him, studying the way he fidgeted and pulled on his gloves.

"What did you do with the clothes we got?"

"I'm wearing them."

"Underneath your suit? Why?"

Vanitas shrugged.

"I always wear my suit. And why do you ask so many questions? If you want me to explain everything to you, it's gonna be really annoying if you interrupt me with questions after every sentence."

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you calling me annoying?" Keniera smiled as Vanitas fell onto his back and covered the face of his mask with his hands.

"Oh God, the questions never stop! What will it take to make them stop?"

"Take off your armor, and I won't ask questions while you explain."

Vanitas stiffened. Keniera made the deal a little sweeter.

"Alright. Take it off, and I won't ask a question for all of three hours.

No response.

"No more questions all day? C'mon! The whole rest of the day without questions… Going once, going twice…"

"Okay! Fine! This had better be good…" As Keniera watched, Vanitas' armor shimmered and faded, revealing a v-neck black tee and jeans. Vanitas was pale and lanky, but muscular. _Probably from wearing that suit and training every day,_ Keniera concluded. His boots disappeared to reveal a pair of black tennis shoes, his gloves dissolved to reveal both hands. Vanitas remained lying on his back, his arms now resting at his sides.

Only his helmet remained.

"Come on, the deal includes the helmet, too. Or do you want to hear questions like this all day?"

Vanitas groaned. "Anything but the questions…"

Slowly, the helmet seemed to burn away from his face; large holes appearing in the black tinted glass.

Keniera watched with growing curiosity as his face was revealed, leaning forward on her hands to get a better look. His face was angular, but not overly so. He had small, slightly pink lips, and his nose was almost delicately placed. His eyes were closed and his lips twitched as he felt the breeze on his face. Vanitas' hair was jet black and stuck out in every which direction in large spikes, some brushing against his forehead while others seemed to stand straight up.

"Now open your eyes."

Vanitas sighed, and squinted his eyes harder.

"No."

"Why not?" Vanitas ran a hand through his hair, his eyes still tightly shut.

"No questions, remember? I took off the armor so you could see me; I took off the helmet so you could see my face…"

"I want to see your eyes. Last time I checked, eyes were a part of the face. You're not finished on your side of the deal yet. I want to see your _whole_ face."

Vanitas didn't respond. Keniera sighed and moved closer, kneeling next to him.

"Please?" She placed a hand on Vanitas' forehead, and he sighed again, letting his eyes relax but still not opening them.

"Vanitas? Just—"

"You'll hate me. You'll run away and never want to look at me again."

"Just because of your eyes? I doubt it. Just, please?"

"Then promise you won't run away." Vanitas raised a hand and placed it over the one she had on his forehead. "Promise that and I'll open them."

Keniera hesitated for a moment, wondering what he was so worried about. Then, in a whisper;

"I promise. Cross my heart."

Vanitas opened his eyes slowly, letting them focus in on her face. He felt her hand tense up, caught between his own and his head. Vanitas squeezed her hand; reminding Keniera of her promise to him, urging her to stay, hoping she wouldn't hate him, wishing she would understand. Keniera forced herself to stay kneeling next to him, determined not to break her promise. His eyes sought her own, and she managed a weak smile at him, while cold fear and dread rose in her chest.

His eyes were gold.

0*0*0 ***Holt*** 0*0*0

"I'm not a thief!" Holt repeated for the thousandth time. He stood in a huge jewel mine surrounded by seven little men with pickaxes, and the little men were not very happy to see him.

"Oh yeah?" One of them came forward, "Then why are you here in our mine?" The outspoken one was dressed in a red tunic and brown leggings, with a brown cap. His thick, white beard surrounded his scowling mouth. "I say you're a thief!"

A different man spoke up, wearing much the same outfit, save for a small pair of glasses perched on his bulbous nose.

"That's enough, Grumpy." The new speaker turned to face Holt. "I'm Doc. If you're not here to steal our jewels, then what are you doing in our mine? And where did you come from? We've never seen you before." All seven little men murmured agreements except two; one seemingly asleep on the floor of the mine and the other one wiping his nose with a soiled handkerchief.

"I'm not from around here, and I'm looking for a friend of mine."

"Yeah, already heard that one, bub." Grumpy mumbled. Holt started forward and kneeled in front of the little man.

"Already heard that one? Was it a girl? Brunette hair, blue eyes?" Grumpy harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest, turning away from Holt.

"Well, no." Another one spoke up. Holt stood and turned to find another man in a blue cap staring bashfully up at him. "Oh, um, it was a boy with blonde hair, looking for his friends too." The man hid his face from Holt and wrung his hat between his hands. Holt's face fell.

"Oh."

"Now dontcha worry, you'll find her! Is she your girlfriend?" A portly fellow bounced up to him, his cheeks red and a big smile plastered on his face.

"I'm Happy, nicetameetcha, and I know love when I see it!" Holt felt himself growing red and shook his head.

"No, not my girlfriend, just a…" He trailed off, not sure how to finish.

"Hey," Doc interrupted, "Maybe Snow's seen her!" A chorus of voices joined in, and Holt looked around at the group of men in confusion.

"Snow? Who's Snow?"

"You're really not from here, are ya?" Happy asked, looking Holt up and down. "Snow's the princess! Snow White!" The men pushed toward the exit of the mine, Doc and Happy leading Holt outside.

"C'mon! Snow'd be happy to help, we're sure!" Holt, clinging onto the hope of finding Keniera, let the men take him out of the mine and into the woods.

The seven dwarves whistled on their way to see their princess.

0*0*0 ***Keniera*** 0*0*0

"Your eyes…" Keniera couldn't find anything to say; Vanitas sat up and rubbed his face with both hands, closing his eyes again.

"…Are gold, I know." He turned to face her, keeping his eyes focused on his hands. "They've always been that way, ever since I was created." Vanitas looked up to catch her eyes.

"They're so…" Keniera started again, but Vanitas cut her off.

"Ugly? Malevolent? Revolting? Disheartening? Creepy?"

"…Pretty." Keniera finished. Vanitas gave her a shocked look.

"Did you just call me pretty? I am a man, and men are not pretty." Keniera couldn't help but laugh and the mood lightened almost instantly.

"What are men, then?"

"Men are handsome and arrogant and charming. Girls are pretty."

"Am I pretty?"

Vanitas, not paying any attention, didn't hesitate.

"No, you're beautiful."

Keniera didn't respond, her mouth open in a small 'o' and a blush rising to her face. _Did he just call me beautiful?_

Vanitas realized what he had said and slapped a hand onto his face.

"Oh, Hell! What happened to 'no questions'? You want an explanation or not?"

Keniera nodded, still too flustered to speak.

Vanitas sensed her hesitation and looked back at her, his eyes taking in her expression and the blush in her cheeks.

"Yeah, you're beautiful. Now you know and you can flaunt it all you want. Come over here."

Vanitas patted a spot on the pier next to him and Keniera moved to accommodate it, incredibly aware of Vanitas sitting so close to her. His golden eyes met hers, and he smiled. She blushed again and dropped her gaze before turning to face the ocean. Vanitas felt warm and wished that the circumstances were different, that they could… Vanitas shook his head before he let that thought finish itself in his mind. Keniera gave him a look, and he gave her half a smile. No time for what-ifs. There was a story needing to be told.

"So," Vanitas said, stretching his arms above his head, "Let's get started…"

0*0*0 *Holt* 0*0*0

Holt stood in the middle of a small cottage, staring at the woman before him. Her hair was cut short and black as midnight, her lips red as a rose, her eyes brown as the earth, and her skin pale as… snow.

"Holt, meet Snow White. Princess, this is Holt." Happy introduced them. Snow White smiled sweetly at Holt and curtsied. Holt bowed deeply, trying to make up for his initial reaction. Something about her seemed so… different. It felt as if she were made up entirely of light.

"How do you do, Your Highness?" Snow White giggled and straightened up.

"Just fine, thank you." Doc removed his hat and wrung it nervously in his hands.

"Princess, Holt here has a question for you."

Holt nodded. "I'm looking for my friend. Her name's Keniera and I was wondering whether or not you've met her?"

Snow White looked thoughtful for a moment.

"It's a blonde boy named Ventus you're looking for?"

Holt shook his head. Snow White looked crestfallen.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know a Keniera."

Holt nodded, not meeting her eyes. Snow White placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and gestured to herself and the seven dwarves around her.

"We'll keep a close eye out for her should she decide to visit us, won't we boys?"

The dwarves nodded in agreement, and Holt looked up to meet the princess' eyes.

"Thank you. If you see her, summon me on this." Holt handed Snow White a Wayfinder. "It connects our hearts, so if either one of us needs the other, we can reach each other."

Snow White nodded and placed it in a small pocket in the front of her apron.

Bidding goodbye to Snow White and the dwarves, Holt walked back to the jewel mine. Checking around himself to make sure no one was watching, he opened up another portal and closed his eyes. His hand tightened on his own Wayfinder in his pocket, and the one he had been making for Keniera. _Please be safe,_ he thought, hoping that somehow Keniera could hear him. _I'm coming to find you, so don't get into trouble, okay? _He stepped into the portal and concentrated. The next stop was Agrabah, and Holt wanted to make sure he didn't end up in the middle of the desert. The portal closed up behind him, and Holt left the Dwarf Woodlands.

0*0*0*0*0*0

**Alright! That was Chapter VII! Now for the contest I mentioned!**

**WANTED: NEW CHARACTER TO PLAY XEHANORT'S ASSASSIN.**

**Please include a name, weapon (doesn't have to be a Keyblade) and physical description in a PM and send it to me! MUST BE MALE! Make sure all of this is included in your PM or it will not be considered. Just so you know, the assassin will be EVIL, so don't be offended by the way I make him act. Please, PLEASE PARTICIPATE! Also, the new character will not be used right away, but will be VITAL in later chapters! **

**Thank you! **

**~KpCw **


	8. Hearts of Gold: Chapter VIII

Hearts of Gold: Chapter VIII

**Alright, Chapter VIII! That contest is still running, and so far I only have 1 entry!**

**AAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!**

**Come on, guys and gals, I know you can do it! You still have time, but not much. I'm planning on introducing Xehanort's Assassin in Chapter X, so get to it! Just be reminded that it may take a little longer to explain everything, so there isn't a guaranteed introduction for the new character; he may be introduced in Chapter XI or Chapter XII…**

**Anywho, on with Chapter VIII!**

0*0*0*0*0*0

"_Yeah, you're beautiful. Now you know and you can flaunt it all you want. Come over here."_

_Vanitas patted a spot on the pier next to him and Keniera moved to accommodate it, incredibly aware of Vanitas sitting so close to her. His golden eyes met hers, and he smiled. She blushed again and dropped her gaze before turning to face the ocean. Vanitas felt warm and wished that the circumstances were different, that they could… Vanitas shook his head before he let that thought finish itself in his mind. Keniera gave him a look, and he gave her half a smile. No time for what-ifs. There was a story needing to be told. _

"_So," Vanitas said, stretching his arms above his head, "Let's get started…"_

0*0*0 ***Keniera*** 0*0*0

Keniera sat quietly on the docks next to Vanitas, waiting expectantly to hear his story of how he came to be, and possibly who she was. Vanitas looked out towards the ocean, his golden eyes catching the bright rays of the afternoon sun and causing them to sparkle. _So pretty_, she thought, _so unlike Xehanort's… How could something so closely associated with darkness be so beautiful?_ Remembering Vanitas' compliment earlier, Keniera tore her gaze from his eyes and looked down at her hands. _Does he really think _I'm_ beautiful?_ Keniera was dragged from her thoughts, however, once Vanitas started to speak.

"You and I are complements to each other; you being the manifestation of light, and me being the manifestation of darkness. The balance of the worlds and of Kingdom Hearts pretty much depends on our lives." Vanitas shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were nothing important. Keniera, however, was reeling. _Not two minutes into his explanation and I'm already bursting with questions! _She started fidgeting, cursing herself for forbidding questions. Vanitas gave her a concerned look before putting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands, mumbling something incoherently.

"Can't hear you," she stated, poking him in the shoulder. "What?"

"I said, I'm gonna regret this later."

Keniera gave him a confused look and he sat back up, looking her in the eyes.

"One of these days, I'll be able to tell you and those big blue eyes 'no'." He sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand and closing his eyes.

"What do you wanna ask?"

Keniera didn't hesitate. She leaned toward Vanitas, her eyes wide.

"What's Kingdom Hearts? And how are we manifestations of Light and Dark?"

"Kingdom Hearts is the hearts of all worlds; it's where hearts come from and return to once they're released. It has incredible power; someone using the full power of Kingdom Hearts would be almost unstoppable, besides the fact that misusing the power of Kingdom Hearts would eventually destroy your heart. Master Xehanort wanted to use its power to restart the Keyblade War and rule over the worlds."

Keniera nodded, but the other question she had asked was still nagging at the back of her mind.

"What about the other thing? About us being Light and Darkness?"

Vanitas turned away from her and pulled a splinter from the leg of his jeans. Keniera waited patiently, watching his hands remove the small sliver of wood and toss it into the ocean.

"My eyes are gold for a reason; my heart belongs to the darkness. I was created from it, and it's all I have. Those with hearts of light usually have blue eyes, like yours. When I was created, taken from the darkness of… someone else… Master Xehanort used parts of his own black heart to fill the gaps in mine; the places where light used to be before I was ripped away from it. That's why he can control me so easily," he added, "he just manipulates those pieces of his heart within mine." Vanitas turned to face her, looking into the eyes he couldn't say 'no' to.

"When my heart was joined with his, a heart of pure darkness was created. The balance between Light and Dark was being disrupted, and so the other boy joined his heart with that of a little kid; a boy named Sora. Together, they created a heart of pure light, and so the balance was restored."

Keniera frowned, and Vanitas rolled his eyes.

"What now?"

"What was the other boy's name? The one you were 'taken out of'?"

Vanitas grimaced, and he seemed to have difficulty saying it at first.

"His name was Ve—Ventus."

"Ventus? He visited Radiant Gardens! I remember, he was playing with Lea and Isa when I met him…"

0*0*0*0*0*0

_Keniera had been walking through the town, looking for Lea. He had let Holt one of his Frisbees for training and now Holt was too busy to return it. Keniera, always the gracious friend, had volunteered to deliver the Frisbee back to Lea, but was having trouble finding him. "Lea! Le-ea!" Turning down a side street, she was greeted with the sight of the red-haired fiend as he sparred with a younger, blonde-haired boy. Isa stood out of the crossfire, his back to Keniera. She walked down to stand beside him, imitating Lea by twirling a Frisbee around her forefinger. "Lea picking on new kids again?" she asked casually. Isa laughed and swiped the Frisbee from her finger, teasing her with it. Halfheartedly, she jumped for it, but soon gave up. Isa was just too damn tall. Taking a more feminine approach, she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, sticking her bottom lip out. "No fair, Isa, give it back!" He hesitated for a second before handing the Frisbee back to her, and she stuck her tongue out at him before pinching his arm. "Ow! What was that for?" Isa asked, rubbing the now-sore spot on his arm. _

"_For being mean to a girl." _

_Isa rolled his eyes and continued to watch the two boys spar. Keniera watched too, tucking the Frisbee beneath her arm._

"_Why're they fighting? What did Lea say _this_ time?"_

"_He called the younger boy's wooden sword 'cute'."_

_Keniera giggled. _

"_Oh, how horrible! Never call a boy cute! Lea, don't you know that? What's that boy's name? He's really kicking Lea's butt!"_

_Isa chuckled. "Ventus, I think."_

_Both Keniera and giggled as Ventus knocked Lea on his rear._

"_You… had enough?" Lea panted, sitting on the ground as he tried to catch his breath. "'Cause I'm willing to… call it a draw if you are."_

"_Huh?" Ventus asked, straightening up. He laughed quietly. "Right."_

_Isa and Keniera walked forward, the latter trying to hide her laughter with her hand. _

"_From where I stood, the only thing you drew was a big 'L' on your forehead for 'Loser', 'Lame', 'Laughable'…" Isa trailed off, coming to stand by his fallen friend. Keniera stood on the opposite side, smiling. "And ludicrous!" she added. Keniera extended her hand to Ventus. _

"_I'm Keniera."_

_Ventus blushed slightly and took her hand, shaking it._

"_They call me Ventus. Or Ven."_

_Lea turned to look at Isa and Keniera and gave them both a mock scowl._

"_Wha—isn't this the part where you two… cheer me up or somethin'?" Lea folded his legs Indian-style and crossed his arms over his chest._

"'_You're just havin' a bad day!' or 'That's what you get for pullin' your punches!'" Lea sighed. "Some friends!"_

_Isa spoke up. "Oh, so you meant Keniera and I were supposed to lie."_

_Lea fell back, crossing his arms behind his head. "Ya see what I gotta put up with?" He addressed Ventus, standing quietly before the three of them. "Sure hope you don't have friends like them." _

_Ventus started, and laughed. Keniera, Isa, and Lea joined in and the four stood around the courtyard, laughing amongst themselves. After a moment or two, the laughter ceased._

"_Lea, we have to go." Isa brushed a few invisible hairs from his coat, looking down at Lea who still insisted on lying on the cold cobblestones._

"'_Kay."_

_Isa ruffled Keniera's hair as he walked by, making her protest. Ventus looked disappointed._

"_Already?" _

"_I'll see ya when I see ya. After all, we're friends now. Get it memorized." _

_Keniera giggled and rolled her eyes at Lea's signature catch-phrase. Ventus chuckled._

"_Okay, Lea."_

_With that, Lea turned and followed Isa, winking at Keniera as he passed._

"_I'll see ya later, gorgeous." Lea winked again. Keniera stuck her tongue out at him, but blushed nonetheless. Suddenly, she remembered._

"_Lea! I've got your Frisbee. Holt asked me to return it to you."_

_Lea smirked and took the toy in his hands. Inspecting it carefully, he let out a gasp and pointed to a tiny scratch on its emblem. _

"_A scratch? You scratched my Frisbee? Do you know what this means?"_

_Ventus walked over to the two of them, Isa waiting patiently at the edge of the courtyard. _

"_What does it mean?" Ventus asked, curious. Lea smiled innocently._

"_You have to uphold my policy. You _do_ know the policy, Keniera, don't you?"_

_Isa face palmed behind them; Ventus and Keniera were clueless._

"_No, what is it?" Lea hid the Frisbee behind his back with both hands, and leaned forward._

"_One kiss per scratch." _

_Keniera was shocked. "What? That's crazy!" Lea pulled out the Frisbee again, biting his nails and inspecting the Frisbee closer. _

"_You're right, that is crazy! What was I _thinking_?" Keniera sighed in relief. Lea continued._

"_This thing's absolutely _covered_ in scratches! You owe me enough kisses to last a lifetime! Well," Lea shrugged and leaned forward again, "better get started while we're young, eh Keniera?"_

_Lea puckered his lips out, and Keniera stared at them for a second. Ventus took in her shocked expression and started laughing hysterically. Isa shook his head and placed a hand on his forehead._

"_Lea, don't torture Keniera. She's the one with the Keyblade, you know."_

"_She wouldn't use it on me." Lea opened one eye and winked at her before closing it again and leaning out further. Keniera rolled her eyes and gently pecked him on the cheek, the contact only lasting a second but she blushed anyway. Lea's eyes flew open and he placed a hand on his cheek, staggering as if faint. _

"_Oh man oh man, she did it! Keniera _actually_ kissed my cheek! Come on, Isa, let's go! The whole town's gonna hear this one! Oh man, Holt's gonna be so _jealous_! _

_Keniera and Ventus laughed as Lea skipped off towards Isa, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him towards the castle, Hollow Bastion. As they disappeared, Ventus turned to Keniera. _

"_Is he always like that?" _

_Keniera giggled._

"_Constantly." The two laughed some more before Ventus turned away from her, his blonde hair blowing gently. _

"_Must be nice," he said, looking towards the sky, "Knowing who your friends are." Keniera patted him on the shoulder, trying to reassure him. Ventus seemed sad, like he didn't even have friends. _

"_Well, you're my friend, and Isa's and Lea's too. So now you know three friends, Ven!" _

_Ventus nodded, a smile spreading across his face._

"_Thanks, Keniera."_

0*0*0*0*0*0

"He was so nice… Whatever happened to him?" Keniera wondered aloud. Vanitas was silent, rubbing the palm of one hand with the thumb of the other. Keniera shook her head and turned to face him again.

"So, you're darkness taken out of Ventus. Who was I taken out of? Is there a Keniera running around made out of darkness?"

Vanitas laughed. "No, I think the universe could only handle one of you. You were created out of the Realm of Light; Kingdom Hearts stole pieces of light from the seven Princesses of Heart to make a full heart, and your body just kind of formed itself around the heart. It's kind of confusing," he added, seeing Keniera's pensive expression. "no one really understands Kingdom Hearts. You might, seeing as though it created you…"

Keniera shook her head. "You took my memories, remember? I don't understand anything."

Vanitas started and then slapped a hand onto his forehead with a loud smack.

"Hell! Why am I explaining things, then? I still have your memories!" With that, he pulled a small black ring from his jeans pocket and let it rest in his palm. Keniera eyed it curiously, a faint recognition registering in the back of her mind. Vanitas grinned and took her hand in his own.

"I managed to trap your memories in your ring before I dropped you off at Radiant Gardens. It wasn't easy; I had to fight to put you under a Sleep charm, and then break up the chains in your heart to rework your memories into the ring. That's why some things feel familiar to you, I guess. I must've missed some things."

"What do you mean, 'chains in my heart'?"

"Master Xehanort described memories as chains surrounding the heart they belong to. Sometimes the chains can be rearranged or separated or even destroyed if someone's powerful enough to do it. That's what I did; I just separated certain chains and put the links in the ring. Once you put it back on, the links will reconnect and you'll have your memories back!"

Vanitas was still holding her hand, his other hand busy rolling the memory ring between his thumb and forefinger.

"Do you _want_ them back?"

Keniera didn't answer at first, and Vanitas squeezed her hand.

"I—I don't know. All this time I wished I could remember before Radiant Gardens, but now… I don't know. I just thought I was orphaned or something; just without a family. Now, I'm suddenly the 'manifestation of Light' and the fate of the worlds rests on my shoulders. _Should_ I want to remember?"

Vanitas was silent, his thumb tracing figure-eights on her palm. After a moment, he spoke very quietly, just above a whisper.

"Do you want to remember me the way I remember you?"

Keniera looked up and met his eyes, watching emotions swim across the twin gold orbs. Anxiety, fear, sadness, remorse… and something else. Both were quiet.

Carefully, Keniera reached over with her free hand and took the ring from between Vanitas' fingers. He let his now-empty hand join his other in holding hers, his eyes now filled with a sort of hope. Keniera smiled weakly and brought her gaze down to the ring in her hand. It was small; a pinky ring, with a black etched heart near the face. As she watched, the heart pulsed with a faint light, imitating that of a real heart. Trembling slightly, Keniera brought the ring down to the hand Vanitas' were holding, and took a deep breath.

"It'll be okay," Vanitas told her, taking the ring back from her and holding it near the tip of her pinkie finger, "I'll stay with you."

Keniera nodded silently, and Vanitas gently pushed the ring down to her knuckle. As soon as it touched her skin, the heart glowed brightly and a sharp pain lanced through Keniera's heart. She fell forward, and Vanitas put an arm around her back while keeping his other hand wrapped around her own.

Keniera managed one last look into Vanitas' large, golden eyes before she felt herself falling into nothing.

And she started to remember everything.

0*0*0 *Holt* 0*0*0

Holt stepped out onto thick, gold sand; the air now surrounding him dry and hot. Covering his eyes with the back of his hand, Holt fixed his gaze on tall stone walls surrounding the city. Down farther to his left were a huge set of wooden doors, and Holt could hear the shouting of merchants trying to sell their goods. Setting off, Holt counted the munny he had with him; just about 5,000. _Well, good,_ he thought as he entered the doorway, _maybe I can find-_ He was cut off as he took in the scene before him. Merchants and grocers occupied the sides of every street, yelling and calling out to the potential customers that passed them by. Animals squealed and barked and chattered as they roamed the town unleashed. Women in elaborate costumes and veils winked at him and giggled as his face reddened. A small monkey with a red vest and matching hat scampered up his leg and poked its face into Holt's.

"Well, hi there—hey! What the-?"

The monkey chattered excitedly as it snatched Keniera's unfinished Wayfinder from his pocket and dangled it in front of Holt's nose.

"That's not yours, give it back!" Holt attempted to swipe it back, but the monkey was quicker and pulled it away just in the nick of time.

"Abu!" A young man in tattered white pants and a purple vest came running up to them, anger crowding his face. Holt noticed, however, a glint of humor in his dark eyes.

"How many times have I told you? Don't steal anything that isn't food! Give it back to him." Holt extended his hand up to the monkey, who had decided to perch on top of Holt's head.

Abu crossed his arms, holding the Wayfinder close to its furry chest. The man raised his eyebrows.

"Abu…"

Sensing the warning tone in his master's voice, Abu dropped the Wayfinder into Holt's hand before leaping down to land on the man's shoulder. The man patted the monkey's small head.

"Good boy." He turned back to Holt, extending his hand.

"Sorry about that; Abu doesn't mean it, he's just… Well anyway, I'm Aladdin. Local street rat."

Holt grinned and replaced the Wayfinder in his pocket before taking Aladdin's hand and shaking it.

"I'm Holt. Say, have you seen a girl around here?"

Aladdin chuckled. "I've seen lots of girls around here. Or haven't you noticed?" He winked at the costumed women and they turned, giggling among themselves.

"She's different. Her name's Keniera, she's got brown hair and big, blue eyes…"

"Is she your girlfriend?" Aladdin smirked at him. "You've got that puppy love look written all over your face."

Holt wiped a hand across his face to cover his blush. "No, she's not my girlfriend. She's my best friend, and she's missing."

Aladdin thought hard, scratching the back of his head with one hand. Abu imitated him and Holt had to smile at the two of them, before Aladdin answered.

"Nope. Never met her, sorry."

Holt sighed, slumping forward.

"It's fine, I'll just keep—" He was interrupted as a merchant started screaming at a young woman in a tattered brown robe. He had her wrist in one hand, and it was obvious she was in pain.

"Hey, let her go!" Holt yelled and was about to charge, but Aladdin stopped him.

"Don't worry, I've got this."

Aladdin strolled over, a worried look on his face, and started explaining things to the merchant. He took the woman by the arm and led her away, back towards Holt. The merchant seemed confused for a moment, but then scowled and turned back to the customers at his stand. Aladdin approached Holt with the girl in tow. Once they were out of earshot, Aladdin released the girl and asked her if she was okay.

"I'm fine, I just—I'm not a thief!" She stamped her foot and crossed her arms, reminding Holt of Abu. _Where is Abu?_ He wondered. The little monkey had disappeared for now, and Holt redirected his attention to the woman.

"What's your name?"

"Jasmine. And yours?"

"Ho—"

"I'm Aladdin!" Aladdin interrupted loudly. Holt looked over at him, irritated, before he saw Aladdin's expression. Holt turned back to Jasmine and smirked. _Who's got puppy love on his face now?_

"I'm Holt. Why was that merchant yelling at you?"

Jasmine looked uncomfortable, but answered anyway. "There was a little boy out there and he wanted an apple. I just got him one from the cart and that horrible man started calling me a thief!"

Aladdin crossed his arms across his chest.  
>"Did you pay for that apple?"<p>

"No, but I shouldn't have to! I'm the pr—" Jasmine shut her mouth abruptly, cutting off her sentence halfway through.

"Never mind. I guess I should've paid first."

The three stood in silence for a moment, before Holt spoke up.

"Jasmine, have you met a girl named Keniera?"

"Yeah, Holt here's looking for his girlfriend. Seen her?"

Jasmine was pensive a moment before shaking her head sadly.

"No, I can't say I have. I'm sorry."

"It's… It's alright. Stay here, I'll be right back." The two gave him a strange look as Holt delved into the crowded marketplace, picking up the right parts for a decent Wayfinder. After a few minutes, he returned to Aladdin and Jasmine and assembled one rather quickly. He summoned his Keyblade, causing Aladdin and Jasmine to gasp at the sight of his weapon appearing from midair. Holt smirked at their response and tapped the center of the makeshift Wayfinder with the tip of his Keyblade, causing it to glow. Satisfied, he let his Keyblade dissolve and handed the Wayfinder to Aladdin.

"Here. Take this, and if you see Keniera summon me on it."

Aladdin took the Wayfinder into his hands, carefully examining it.

"You're serious about finding her, aren't you?"

Holt nodded, looking between Jasmine and Aladdin. "Completely. Wouldn't you do everything you could to find your friends if they disappeared?"

Aladdin looked thoughtful before nodding.

"I guess so, if I had any friends."

Holt rested a hand on Aladdin's shoulder. "Well, I'm your friend. So now you have one."

Jasmine placed her hand delicately on Aladdin's other shoulder.

"I'll be your friend, too. So now you have two friends."

Jasmine didn't notice Aladdin's blush. "Thanks you two. And I'll be sure to keep an eye out for your girlfriend, Holt."

Jasmine nodded. "Me too." Holt looked between the two before a large man in a ridiculous looking turban approached Jasmine and Aladdin from behind.

"Well well well. Look what I've found. A street rat and his little girlfriend!"

Aladdin grinned at Holt before latching onto Jasmine's hand.

"Sorry, Holt! Gotta run!" Aladdin flew down an alley with Jasmine scrambling behind them as the large man chased after them. Holt bolted before someone came after him too, laughing all the way. Holt exited the city, stopping just outside the doors to glance behind him. _Aw, Aladdin's gonna be fine! And Jasmine's got him to help her out. That fat man's got a lot on his hands with those two._

Laughing again to himself, Holt summoned up a portal and stepped through, heading towards the Pridelands.

0*0*0*0*0*0

**Once again, please participate in the character contest! I believe in all of you! **

**Chapter IX should be here soon!**

**Peace, love, and cupcakes.**

**-KpCw **


	9. Hearts of Gold: Chapter IX

**Hearts of Gold: Chapter IX**

**It's HEEEERRRREEEE! Chapter IX is HEEEERRRREEE! Sorry it's been so long, basketball season has officially started at school! Whoo hoo! So yeah, between games, homework, and other random this-and-that's, this chapter may not be my best… AGAIN I AM SO SO SO SORRY THAT I'VE BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG! As a thank-you for not finding me and burning my house down, THIS IS TOTALLY THE LONGEST CHAPTER EEEVVVVVEEERRR! Oh, and sorry if it rambles… I ramble sometimes… FAIR WARNING! Keniera's memories will also be separated with a buncha *'s… In order to save time, I didn't put down EVERYTHING that happened to Keniera before Radiant Gardens… That would be redonkulous. So, think of the *'s as time passing! Alright, done with the Author's note. Maybe not. Actually, yes, I am. I'm done. Lol, alrighty. **

**Let's get this thing STARTED!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. I DO HOWEVER OWN KENIERA, HOLT, AND ANY AND ALL CHARACTERS THAT SPONTANEOUSLY BUST OUT FROM MY MIND.**

0*0*0*0*0*0

_Keniera nodded silently, and Vanitas gently pushed the ring down to her knuckle. As soon as it touched her skin, the heart glowed brightly and a sharp pain lanced through Keniera's heart. She fell forward, and Vanitas put an arm around her back while keeping his other hand wrapped around her own. _

_Keniera managed one last look into Vanitas' large, golden eyes before she felt herself falling into nothing._

_And she started to remember everything._

0*0*0 ***Keniera, Memories*** 0*0*0

"_Empty form from Ventus riven, to you the name Vanitas shall be given." _

_A boy clad in black-and-red armor and a black helmet formed from a cloud of blackness above an old man and an unconscious blonde boy. _

"_Yes, Master."_

_The old man grinned, revealing sharp, pointed teeth. He could sense the new boy's incompleteness; his heart was torn in half, just as Ventus' was. He looked down at said boy with disgust, plainly written on his aged features. _

"_Feckless neophyte," he sneered, "you were of no use to me, anyway." The old man brought his golden gaze up to the new apprentice, Vanitas, and raised a white-gloved hand. _

"_Now, Vanitas, we must repair your heart. Surely you don't want to remain a half of a person?"_

"_No, Master."_

_The old man's face twisted into a manic grin. "Perfect."_

_Black tendrils shot from the tips of the man's fingers and buried themselves deep in the boy's chest; grasping his incomplete heart and filling it with darkness. Vanitas cried out and dropped to his knees. His helmet burned away to reveal jet-black hair and golden eyes, filled with terror and confusion. _

"_Ma-Master? Wh-what…?" _

"_I am giving you the power of darkness; darkness straight from my own heart. My will is your will, your heart is complete as is mine. You are the embodiment of hate, fear, anger; all those emotions which can cause even the brightest hearts to fail. You are the Prince of Darkness."_

_The tendrils receded from Vanitas' chest and the boy fell to his hands and knees panting. The old man lowered his hand and coaxed more darkness into his own heart, letting it fill the now-empty spaces left by Vanitas. Neither one noticed as a bright light descended into the barren valley they stood in. Only when it's light formed shadows beneath them did they see. As if to herald the light's entrance, a soft feminine voice whispered to the three men._

_**To match the one from Darkness formed; a girl of Light shall so be born. From Seven Princesses of Heart she has been made, one destined to love the one love forbade. To maintain the balance, both Prince and Princess must live, or both their hearts to each other give. The Prince of Darkness, the Princess of Light; to save the worlds, no easy plight. For trials are many and hopes are few, but through all obstacles love shall triumph through. **_

_**Keniera.**_

_The light touched the ground and dissolved, leaving behind a young woman. She lay on her side, sleeping peacefully as the old man and Vanitas gawked. Her brunette hair was neatly brushed over one shoulder, exposing her face. She wore a long white gown, with billowy sleeves that ended near her elbows. Vanitas choked on air; the newly formed darkness within his heart was repelled by her light, but he still yearned to reach out and stroke her hair, to feel her face, to see her eyes… _

"_Vanitas, take her up. We will find someplace for her to sleep while I think." The old man tapped a finger to his chin, seemingly undisturbed by the appearance of this girl, this Princess of Light._

"_Y-yes, Master."_

_Vanitas took a few hesitant steps forward and picked the girl up, wrapping one arm beneath her knees and holding her shoulders to his chest with the other, like a groom would carry his bride. Vanitas found himself blushing at the analogy. She slept soundly as he carried her, following after his Master. The girl weighed very little; Vanitas had no trouble keeping up with the old man. Her face was turned up in a small smile, her eyes moving slowly beneath her eyelids. _

"_Keniera…" he breathed out her name given to her by the light, acknowledging how right it felt coming across his lips. He couldn't deny his attraction to her; their hearts were complete opposites, drawn to each other by the power of the others'. His Master walked a few steps ahead of Vanitas, pondering the prophecy the light had brought to them. A plan was already taking shape in his head; a way to harness both the unconceivable power of both Darkness and Light. The girl's appearance had not been expected, that had been a surprise beyond the old man's imagining. However, it was most opportune. In order to perfect his Prince, his unstoppable weapon, he would have to have some leverage._

_Yes, the girl's appearance was most opportune, but the prophecy that the light had issued…_

_The old man's face drooped into a frown. It troubled him; his weapon couldn't love. He stopped and turned to look at Vanitas, gauging the way he already held her protectively to his chest. Their eyes met, and Vanitas' hardened with distrust almost immediately. Vanitas had only been free of Ventus for a few hours and already he had started to drift from his Master. The girl still slept soundly, unaware of the high tensions surrounding her. Xehanort smirked at Vanitas and started forward again, his smirk growing as he heard his apprentice's footsteps following him. The dark seeds planted in Vanitas' heart would need time to take root, that was given. They would need time to be able to withstand rebellion, against the wishes in Vanitas' heart; they would need to obey Xehanort. Time was needed._

_Xehanort had time._

_Keniera and Vanitas sparred in an absolute wasteland, the sound of their Keyblades clashing together the only sound echoing through the empty world; the Badlands. Vanitas was laughing as Keniera struggled to keep up with him. _

"_Done yet, butterfly? I can do this _all _day!"_

_Keniera growled._

"_Don't call me butterfly! You _know _that bothers me!"_

_In retaliation, she swung her Kingdom Key at Vanitas' feet; promptly catching him off guard and sending him crashing to the ground. His mask dissolved and his gold eyes gave her a reproachful look._

"_Hey, no undercuts! What's the point of sparring with you if you always play dirty?"_

"_What about no trash-talking?" Keniera pointed out, leaning on her Keyblade as she took in her victory._

"_Calling someone 'butterfly' is _not _trash-talking. Calling someone a stubborn, goody-two-shoes princess, however…" Vanitas was cut off as Keniera promptly sat on his abdomen, resting her elbows on her knees._

"_Oy!" Vanitas groaned, "Get off! Just because you're a girl doesn't mean you're not heavy!"_

"_I'm not heavy. You carried me when I broke my ankle and said I weighed 'next to nothing'. I'll get off you when you apologize."_

"_NEVER!" _

"_Alright," Keniera sighed, making herself comfortable. "I can do this _all _day…" _

_Vanitas covered his face with his hands, Keniera rising and falling with every breath he took._

"_Okay, okay! I'm sorry! Just get offa me!"_

_Keniera, satisfied, stood up and let Vanitas breathe. He sat up and leaned back on his hands._

"_Master Xehanort will be back soon. We'd better start practicing again before he gets here, or we'll both be in trouble, butterfly."_

_Keniera smiled sweetly before summoning her Keyblade once again and strolling over to where he sat on the ground, thinking on where the best place to strike would be._

"_Whatever you say, cupcake."_

_It was evening, and the Badlands were quiet as Keniera sat on the edge of one of the many cliffs overlooking the Graveyard. Thousands of Keyblades stood lifeless in the clearing, waiting for their deceased Wielders to either claim them or banish them. The sight of them caused a small ache in Keniera's heart; all those lives, claimed by a horrific Keyblade War… Why Master Xehanort had chosen this shell of a world as their home, Keniera could only guess. _Perhaps because no one ever comes here,_ Keniera thought to herself. _Master Xehanort likes to keep his affairs private…_ Keniera heard footsteps approach her from behind, and turned to see Vanitas. His mask disappeared and he looked exhausted. _

"_Unversed training?" Keniera asked. "You look beat."_

"_I am. Master Xehanort's been pushing me farther and farther every day… I never knew being emotional would be so hard."_

_Keniera laughed into her hand and turned away so he wouldn't notice._

_He noticed._

"_What's so funny?"_

_Keniera managed to swallow her laughter._

"_Being emotional isn't hard! You've just got to stop being so stoic and let it out sometimes!"_

_Vanitas raised a hand to his chin, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, he shrugged and sat down next to her, letting his feet hang over the edge of the cliff. _

"_How do I 'stop being so stoic'?"_

_Keniera gave him a look. "Well, don't try to hold everything inside. If you're mad, punch something. If you're sad, cry. If you're happy, laugh. Emotions 101."_

"_Men don't cry, I laugh with you, and I punch things a lot. Next?"_

"_Here, think of something you love. Something you know you can't live without. How would you feel if you lost it?"_

_Vanitas was silent, pulling anxiously at his gloves. Finally, he spoke. "You first."_

_Keniera thought for a moment, tapping her chin with her forefinger._

"_Okay, I love… Sunsets. I'd be really, really sad if there weren't sunsets anymore."_

_Keniera turned to Vanitas, who was gazing out across the Graveyard. His eyes, traveling over the rows of dead Keyblades, reflected the stars; Keniera found herself naming constellations caught in the golden orbs. She shook her head to clear it of the distracting thoughts wandering through her head._

"_Now you."_

_Vanitas looked towards her, a reply springing to his lips, but nothing came out. Defeated, he sighed and looked out across the Graveyard once more, running a hand through his spiky black hair._

"_I guess I love sunsets too."_

_Keniera was training, surrounded by Shadow Heartless. They weren't presenting much of a challenge for her; a Shadow jumped at her and she severed it cleanly in half with her Keyblade before it dissipated in a shower of dark mist. Another came up behind her, and Keniera struck it down without a second glance. Xehanort stood quietly near the sidelines, controlling the Heartless' attacks. He watched with an unimpressed air as the Heartless' numbers dwindled beneath Keniera's advances. In response, Xehanort flexed his white-gloved hands and the remaining Shadows disappeared, a volley of Neoshadows and Soldiers rising up from the barren ground to take their place. Keniera started, visibly panicked at the appearance of these considerably more dangerous opponents. She threw an uneasy look to her Master, silently pleading for an easier trial. Keniera had never faced more than two Soldiers at a time, and she had never fought a Neoshadow. Now, there were at least five of each slowly advancing towards her. Xehanort raised an eyebrow at her, his golden eyes taunting and skeptical, almost as if daring her to refuse to fight. Determination rose up a bit over danger in Keniera and she drew her Keyblade into an offensive stance, not eager to disappoint her Master.___

_She charged into a Soldier and destroyed it in two strokes, managing to add collateral damage to a nearby Neoshadow. As Keniera moved to finish it off, another Soldier crept up behind her. Xehanort watched calmly as it swept its armored claws across Keniera's back, three long, red stripes showing through the tatters of her black long-sleeved training tunic. Keniera cried out and spun around to attack the assassin, stumbling as the Neoshadow she had been mauling grabbed at her ankle. With a swift chop, the Neoshadow's hand dissolved. Two different Neoshadow's seized the moment to launch themselves at Keniera, sinking their claws into her legs. Crimson flowers bloomed across Keniera's jeans, staining them a deep red. She fell to the ground, screaming in pain and fear as the remaining Heartless piled onto her; the monsters hungry for her heart. Xehanort stood, watching as the Heartless mauled one of his apprentices. Keniera couldn't breathe through the bodies on top of her, all she could see was black and red with an occasional flash of silver claws, all she could hear was the frantic sound of her own screaming... She closed her eyes tightly, feeling a strange pressure in her chest. Suddenly, the weight of the Heartless atop her abated and her eyes flew open. A__white cloud__surrounded her, the Heartless recoiling from contact with it. In a sudden burst, the cloud converged on the Heartless and dissolved them in a matter of seconds. Keniera's wounds closed up, and she panted with exertion as the cloud drained her strength. After her wounds were healed, the cloud dissipated and left Keniera struggling for consciousness.__  
><em>_Breathing heavily, Keniera watched Master Xehanort approach her and prod her side with his foot. His eyes gleamed with an evil excitement, a malevolent grin spreading his features.__  
><em>_"Well done, Keniera. That 'experiment' went well beyond my expectations."__  
><em>_Keniera propped herself up on one elbow, an incredulous look in her eyes.__  
><em>_"Master, you knew that would happen? That I would..."__  
><em>_Xehanort nodded, his golden eyes full of accomplishment. "I had always suspected that your powers were above ordinary, Keniera. You remember that your heart is pure light, correct? And that it was formed using light from the Seven Princesses of Heart?"__  
><em>_Keniera nodded. She remembered.__  
><em>_"All seven Princesses have extraordinary powers themselves, and you have all that light and power within you. When you were created by Kingdom Hearts, it no doubt gave you a way to defend yourself in the direst of situations. You may not be the strongest offensively, but you were created to maintain the balance between Light and Dark; to survive, not conquer."__  
><em>_Keniera nodded, lying back down on the warm dirt. She was so tired...__  
><em>_"Get some rest, my dear. Vanitas shall return from his mission soon, while I must go on my own. Your training is over for today." He opened a dark corridor with the wave of his glove hand and turned towards it, neatly folding his hands behind his stooped back.__  
><em>_"Thank you, Master." Keniera closed her eyes.__  
><em>_"No, thank you."___

_Keniera heard the portal close behind him, and let out a shaky breath. The experience with the cloud of light had drained her more than she would've admitted to her Master. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Vanitas will be back soon, she told her frantic heart, and then I'll tell him what happened. He'll probably want to see me do it himself, but I don't know if I'll have the strength...__  
><em>_Keniera missed Vanitas when he was on missions, more than she probably realized. He went on missions to gather supplies or spy on Master Eraqus and his students or investigate goings-ons throughout the universe. Neither Keniera or Vanitas knew where Xehanort went, but he never stayed in the Badlands for more than a day at a time. Keniera, however, was forbidden to leave the Badlands. Master Xehanort had warned her of the dangers of other worlds; selfish Masters who would gladly misuse her power to conquer the worlds, monsters that would be attracted to her light, thieves in deserts, beasts in old castles, malevolent creatures bent on destroying each other. Keniera was thankful for the protection the Badlands offered, but safety was lonely. She wasn't allowed to meet other people, travel to other worlds, or be seen by anyone other than Vanitas and Master Xehanort himself. Once again she thought of Vanitas, wishing he would hurry up and get home. Keniera mentally urged him to work faster, to get back to her.__  
><em>_Keniera hated being alone.__  
><em>_She fell asleep on the barren ground waiting for him.___

_**********__  
><em>_Keniera remembered countless training sessions and encounters with Xehanort, 'honing' her abilities and becoming stronger and stronger.__  
><em>_She also had countless memories of Vanitas.__  
><em>_Keniera remembered playful squabbles between them, intense spars and whispered conversations. One memory stood out from all others...___

_...They sat on the edge of the cliff as they did most every night once Xehanort had left and Vanitas was supposed to be training. The sky had been unusually clear, and Keniera had interrupted him earlier than usual to ask Vanitas to sit with her. Vanitas knew that Keniera hated to be alone, especially in the dark, so he obliged. They sat side-by-side in silence, enjoying the view. Keniera watched the stars, gasping in awe when one would fall and leave a fiery trail behind it.__  
><em>_Keniera broke the silence first. "Vanitas?"__  
><em>_ "Hm?"__  
><em>_"What are stars?"__  
><em>_"They're different worlds, far off."__  
><em>_"That's a bit unromantic, don't you think?"__  
><em>_Vanitas choked, spluttering.__  
><em>_"Wh-what? R-romantic?"__  
><em>_"Yeah! Don't you think stars would be something a little more romantic, like wishes? Or dreams?"__  
><em>_"Wishes? What's so r-romantic about a wish?"__  
><em>_Keniera giggled and twirled a stray strand of hair around her finger.__  
><em>_"I'm just kidding, Van! Geez, what is it about boys that gets them all flustered when it comes to romance? Is it that painful just to be romantic from time to time?"__  
><em>_Vanitas gave her a look.__  
><em>_"I don't get flustered! I can be more r-romantic than a wish!"__  
><em>_"You can't even say 'romantic' without stuttering."__  
><em>_"ROMANTICROMANTICROMANTICROMAN-"__  
><em>_Keniera laughed, tossing her head back.__  
><em>_"Alright, so you can say it without stuttering! But I've never seen your 'romantic' side!"__  
><em>_Vanitas thought for a moment.__  
><em>_"When have you ever seen me with a girl other than you, butterfly?"__  
><em>_She blanched. "Never. I can't leave, remember? And don't call me 'butterfly'."__  
><em>_"Oh yeah, forgot about that... And I should get to call you 'butterfly' if you get to call me 'Van', just to make it fair."__  
><em>_Keniera sighed. "Whatever. So do you have a girlfriend? You know, on a different world?"__  
><em>_Vanitas laughed, hard enough to bring tears to his eyes. Keniera wasn't expecting that.__  
><em>_"What?"__  
><em>_"For a minute, it sounded like you were jealous, butterfly!" Vanitas laughed some more, holding his sides and gasping.__  
><em>_"But no, most girls can't handle all this."__  
><em>_Vanitas gestured to himself, earning an eye-roll from Keniera.__  
><em>_"Plus, I've been told I'm quite the charmer, besides being incredibly romantic! More romantic than wishes, I'd be willing to bet!"__  
><em>_"Oh yeah? I don't believe you."__  
><em>_Keniera crossed her arms across her chest and gave him a smirk. Vanitas got an idea.__  
><em>_He smiled fiendishly and leaned in close to her, keeping his eyes locked on hers while getting into her personal space. Keniera's smirk disappeared almost instantly and she hugged her arms closer to her chest, infinitely aware of his presence. Vanitas' breath blew on her cheek and he got onto his knees, kneeling just beside her. His hand rested on her shoulder, preventing her from turning away from him, and Keniera felt her face grow hot as she blushed furiously.__  
><em>_"What're you doing?"__  
><em>_Vanitas didn't answer. He smiled, showing perfect, white teeth. They gleamed in the starlight and matched only his eyes in brilliance. Vanitas' eyes were like twin suns, burning with a fire all their own as they delved into her twin oceans, Fire meeting Water.__  
><em>_"You're blushing, butterfly. What's wrong? Too _charming_ for you?"__  
><em>_Keniera couldn't answer; she just blushed harder and hated herself for it.__  
><em>You walked yourself right into this one, didn't you?_  
><em>_She could smell him, a strange but pleasant combination between ash, cinnamon and cologne. It clung to his armor; his hair...__ Keniera couldn't help but inhale deeply, unconsciously memorizing it.__  
><em>_Vanitas chuckled at her reaction to him, her bright pink face and unfocused eyes. Keniera's hair floated around her face in the light wind, and she wrung her hands nervously.__  
><em>_"Now, sit there and tell me I'm not as charming and romantic as a wish."__  
><em>_Keniera closed her eyes tightly; she tried to forget how close he was, how he was looking at her, how his breath was on her face, how he _smelled_...__  
><em>_"So not charming. Nope. Nothing. Totally not doing it for me, sorry. Not romantic, either. I think I'll stay with the wishes."__  
><em>_Vanitas laughed quietly again, blowing his breath softly into her face. He repeated her from earlier.__  
><em>_"Oh yeah? I don't believe you."__  
><em>_He tapped on her forehead with a finger and she hesitantly opened her eyes. Vanitas pulled his mouth into a half-smile, watching her reaction to him once more. An awful, wonderful, hopeless idea popped into his head.___

_"What would you do if I kissed you?"__  
><em>_Keniera started, sure she had misheard him.__  
><em>_"Huh?"__  
><em>_"What. Would you do. If I. Kissed. You?"__  
><em>_Keniera's eyes got wide. "Um, I'd- I mean, you-"__  
><em>_Vanitas pushed some hair behind her ear, gauging the goosebumps that rose from his touch with a distracted interest. She shivered, and closed her mouth, cutting off her stuttering.__  
><em>_"Would you let me?"__  
><em>_"Ah, I- You- I don't-"__  
><em>_Vanitas chuckled again and placed a hand over her mouth. She didn't pull away.__  
><em>_"I don't think you're capable of speech at the moment, butterfly, so do me a favor, okay?"__  
><em>_Keniera watched him silently, Vanitas' hand still over her mouth.__  
><em>_"Just nod."__  
><em>_Keniera didn't move, too scared to do much of anything. She watched Vanitas, and watched as his confidence faded with every moment she didn't respond. He sighed and was about to apologize and remove his hand when she finally nodded, just barely.__  
><em>_Vanitas froze, not knowing if he should act like he didn't notice and just laugh it off or do it, actually kiss her...__  
><em>_He didn't have much of a choice when he thought about it.__  
><em>_Carefully, uncovered her mouth and took one of her hands.__  
><em>_"Are you sure? You don't have to, I mean- I- you-"__  
><em>_Vanitas shut himself up. Keniera giggled nervously and squeezed his hand holding hers. She turned and kneeled in front of him, so that they faced each other on their knees.__  
><em>_"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. After all, how can I say 'no' to those eyes?"__  
><em>_Vanitas batted his eyelashes at her, chuckling quietly.__  
><em>_"Yeah, I know. I'm a 10, that's for sure."__  
><em>_"Just be quiet and kiss me, Beauty Queen."__  
><em>_Vanitas groaned good-naturedly as he brought his face closer to hers.__  
><em>_"That better not catch on, butterfly."__  
><em>_They both laughed quietly as their faces came closer, their breath mingling and their hearts racing in sync. So close, so close...__  
><em>_Their lips were mere inches apart when Vanitas sensed his Master approaching the Badlands, a dark corridor opening up a foot or so behind them.__  
><em>_Keniera and Vanitas both panicked and scooted away from each other, both faces red and frustrated. Xehanort stepped calmly out of his portal, eyeing the two coolly before gesturing to Vanitas.__  
><em>_"Vanitas, I have a job for you. Come."__  
><em>_Vanitas rose to his feet, brushing off his legs nonchalantly as he followed his Master back into the corridor. Just before he disappeared, he turned and gave Keniera a grin before batting his eyelashes at her again. She laughed and shooed him off, her heart aching and her head pounding as he and the portal disappeared. Slowly, she turned back towards the cliff and let her feet dangle off the edge, watching the stars. Keniera made a wish.__  
><em>_"I wish that tomorrow night would be just like tonight, and every night afterwards. Please, I don't ever want to leave."__  
><em>_Him, her mind and heart finished her wish unspoken.__  
><em>_Keniera didn't reprimand them.___

_**********__  
><em>_Keniera watched as Vanitas trained with Master Xehanort, her eyes darting between the Heartless summoned by the Master and the Unversed summoned by Vanitas. Manipulating his emotions into monsters was a hard process; Keniera had seen Vanitas do it many times and it always left him drained, completely devoid of energy. She could already see the toll it was taking on his strength and his focus. The Heartless broke through the Unversed, and a Soldier shot towards Vanitas._

"_Vanitas! Focus!"_

_Startled out of his fatigue, Vanitas raised his Keyblade just in time to dispel of the Soldier and save himself from another injury. He turned to Keniera and saluted her before turning back to the battle before him, his Void Gear at the ready. Master Xehanort stood towards the edge of the training grounds, giving Keniera a warning look. With an imperceptible nod, a Darkball Heartless manifested on the field; all the minor Heartless disappearing. Vanitas grimaced and concentrated, summoning a Trinity Armor Unversed. The two monsters clashed instantly, Vanitas trying to manipulate the Unversed with difficulty while Master Xehanort controlled the Darkball with ease. Vanitas took a few steps back as the battle neared him and Keniera noticed a corridor forming on the ground close to his feet. With a few more steps, Vanitas would fall right in._

"_Van! Hey!"_

_He couldn't hear her; all his attention was focused ahead of him. She jumped to her feet._

"_VANITAS!" _

_He unknowingly took another step back, his foot slipping on the edge of the corridor._

"_Wha-? Hey!" He stumbled and started to fall in, his Keyblade swinging wildly around as he tried to regain his balance. Keniera was already halfway there. She dove into the battle and pulled Vanitas back before he disappeared into the dark, her arms aching as she struggled to pull him back over the edge and onto the ground. After a moment of conflict, Vanitas managed to pull himself up onto the ground with one arm while Keniera yanked on the other. He fell on top of her, and they both lie there, panting. Vanitas' concentration evaporated, and the Trinity Armor disappeared in a flash of black flames. The Darkball also disappeared as Master Vanitas strode towards them angrily, his usually stoic face contorted in anger. _

"_Uh oh," Vanitas mumbled under his breath. "Here it comes, butterfly…"_

"_Keniera, what were you doing? You know interference in training is _strictly_ prohibited!"_

_Keniera disentangled herself from Vanitas and stood, her head bowed. Vanitas was about to excuse her, but Keniera spoke first._

"_I'm sorry, Master. I thought he would fall in, so I went to help—"_

_She was cut off as Xehanort struck her across her face. Vanitas was on his feet instantly, his hands clenched at his sides. Keniera was dumbfounded; she hesitantly raised a hand to her stinging cheek. Vanitas was uttering every curse at Xehanort behind her. The Master paid him no attention and began to lecture Keniera._

"_You do not help. You are on your own in battle; there is no assistance. Learning to depend on another is shameful; it is a sign of weakness, of dependency. If you ever attempt to _'help'_ again, you will suffer the consequences."_

_With that, he turned and disappeared into a corridor, leaving Keniera and Vanitas alone._

"_What the hell was that? You were just helping; it would've been game-over if you hadn't pulled me in! Son of a—"_

_Vanitas stomped off a little ways, yelling out things not needed to be repeated before he strode back over to her and took her face in his hands._

"_Let me see."_

"_No, it's okay. It doesn't even hurt anymore."_

"_I said, let me _see_ it." Vanitas' voice was dangerously low, and Keniera felt that an argument would only make matters worse. She lifted her head and pushed her hair out of her face, showing Vanitas her cheek. He hissed as he took it in, his golden eyes flashing angrily as they ran across the red handprint and crimson scratch adorning the left side of her face. He let his hands drop and stepped back from her, fumbling in the pockets of his red-veined armor. Keniera traced a finger along the scratch and winced as it stung. Vanitas found what he was looking for and pulled out a blue vial, approaching her to place it in her hands._

"_Drink it."_

_Keniera tried to hand it back to him. "A potion? Really, Van, it's not bad. It'll heal up in a couple days all on its own. Save this for something important, okay?"_

"_No, you need it. You're important, so take it. If you don't, I'm just gonna get mad every time I see his handprint on your face. Drink it."_

_Vanitas was serious, and Keniera downed it in one gulp, relaxing slightly as the stinging in her cheek faded._

"_There; all better, okay?" Keniera tried to give him a smile, but it faded quickly._

"_I don't believe it… He hit me? Sure, he's always been a bit stiff with me, but…"_

_Vanitas shook his head. "I don't know, butterfly. He's different… I think he's up to something."_

_Keniera looked down at her feet._

"_I trusted him…"___

_**********___

_Their raised voices carried easily over the plateau of the Badlands, intensified by the strange echoes and acoustics they provided.__  
><em>_"Why don't you believe me, Keniera?"__  
><em>_"Why should I? He's my Master, Van! Why would he want to kill me?"__  
><em>_Vanitas sighed angrily, covering his face with both hands.__  
><em>_"You've interfered with his plans. I have, too, but he needs me."__  
><em>_Keniera was visibly hurt by that statement and she lowered her voice.__  
><em>_"He needs you... So I'm just disposable? I don't train well enough; I don't fight as well as you-"__  
><em>_"It has nothing to do with your training. You've just provided a threat to Master Xehanort's plans."__  
><em>_Vanitas let his hands drop back to his sides as Keniera registered that.__  
><em>_"What kind of threat? What did I do? Explain it to me."__  
><em>_Her voice broke quietly. Vanitas ran a hand through his hair, disrupting the spikes, as he stepped closer to Keniera to take her hand. She let him, forgetting her frustration for a moment.__  
><em>_"I'm pure darkness; you're pure light, right? Manifestations of the two greatest powers, training under one of the greatest Keyblade Masters ever known, remember?"__  
><em>_Keniera nodded.__  
><em>_"When I was spying on Master Eraqus at the Land of Departure the other day, I heard him arguing with Master Xehanort. They were fighting about us. For Xehanort's 'plan', he needs a heart of pure Darkness and pure Light to fight each other and forge a new weapon; the x-blade or KyeBlade. Master Eraqus thinks Ventus is the pure light, but Ventus isn't strong enough to fight me. He hasn't been trained; he hardly knows how to fight..."__  
><em>_Vanitas trailed off, tracing patterns in Keniera's palm.__  
><em>_She watched his face as he focused on her hand. Realization hit her, and her eyes welled up.__  
><em>_"But I've been trained, Master Xehanort been training me to fight... I thought it was to defend myself, to protect myself from people who'd use me."__  
><em>_"Xehanort's been using you, Keniera. He's been preparing you to fight me. We were supposed to forge to x-blade together."__  
><em>_"What did I do?"__  
><em>_Vanitas closed his eyes and summoned an Unversed to his side, a Flood. Keniera gaped.__  
><em>_The Unversed was washed out; it's vibrant blue a faded, dusty color. Its eyes, instead of piercing red, were the same color as her own. As she watched, it approached her and wrapped itself around her leg, something sounding suspiciously like a cat's purr emanating from the creature. Vanitas summoned more and more Unversed; Floods, Scrappers, Bruisers, even a Trinity Armor. They were all faded with her blue eyes, and they all crowded her, purring. Even the Trinity Armor disassembled itself and hovered around her, wanting to be close. Keniera would've laughed in a different situation, but now she was confused. Vanitas' Unversed had usually ignored her, unless Vanitas himself had given them an order. They had never been freely affectionate with her, even if she did find the Floods cute...__  
><em>_"Wha- Why are they like this? The colors and the eye and the _purring..."_  
><em>_Vanitas scooped up a Flood and sat it on his shoulder, where it started to purr and play with the spikes of his hair. Keniera picked up a different Flood and held it close, watching it nuzzle into her and purr louder. The other Unversed crowded her more, wanting the same attention. With a wave of Vanitas' hand, they all disappeared, save for the two they were holding. Vanitas finally answered her.__  
><em>_"My emotions have been a bit... Complicated lately. I've tried to fix them time and time again, but the Unversed keep ending up like this."__  
><em>_He gestured impatiently to the Flood on his shoulder, still happily playing with his hair. In one swift motion, he pulled it from his shoulder and plopped it into her arms along with the other one. The Unversed still held a few strands of black hair in it's hands. The two squirmed until Keniera placed them both gently on the ground and they took off, teasing and chasing each other. Keniera eyed Vanitas, noticing how he suddenly seemed very interested in a loose thread on one of his black gloves. She took his hand in hers to stop his fidgeting, and twined their fingers together.__  
><em>_"What happened to your Unversed? And how does that affect Master Xehanort's plans?"__  
><em>_Vanitas raised his eyes to meet hers.__  
><em>_"It's... Complicated. You're pure Light, I'm pure Darkness. You're good, I'm evil. I kill people using my power, while yours can save lives."__  
><em>_Keniera was getting rather alarmed. "Kill people? What're you-"__  
><em>_Vanitas cut her off. "People flock to you, love you. People sense my Darkness and they run away. I create monsters to wreak havoc; you can tame them with a simple touch. I'm not worthy of redemption, but you're the redemption of everything. Darkness is feared, Light is loved. You would be smart to fear me, but you don't."__  
><em>_Keniera gave him a weak smile, and grasped his hands more tightly to prove his statement true.__  
><em>_"I'm not afraid of you, Van."__  
><em>_Vanitas smiled at her before speaking again nervously.__  
><em>_"And I would be stupid to love you, but I do."_

___Keniera balked. "You _love_ me?"__  
><em>_In response, Vanitas pulled her into him until her head rested on his chest. Her ear lay just over his heart, and she could hear it beating; just as frenzied and nervous as her own.__  
><em>_"Yeah, butterfly, I do." His chest rumbled as he spoke, and she felt him raise a hand to stroke her hair. A million thoughts ran through her head, and a million questions danced on her tongue. Keniera wanted to laugh out loud and cry at the same time, and she couldn't help but let a tear or two trail down from her eyes. It took a minute for her to find her voice.__  
><em>_"I love you too, Van."___

_The moment ended all too soon. Vanitas held Keniera for a long moment or two before sighing. His cinnamon-scented breath blew across the top of her head, making her shiver.__  
><em>_"That's why Xehanort wants to kill you; if I love you, I allow your light into my heart. If you love me, then you allow my darkness into your heart. Our hearts lose their purity, and Xehanort's plan falls apart. My Unversed are effected, too. The light goes into them and they aren't aggressive; all they want is the love they sense in me."__  
><em>_"So what will killing me fix? The balance will still be maintained. You'll still have my light inside you."__  
><em>_Vanitas flinched, and Keniera looked up into his face. __  
><em>_"What?"__  
><em>_"That's where everything gets confusing. When I was taken from Ventus, he filled in the other half of my heart with Darkness of his own, remember? My heart was made from complete darkness, which is why you were made. Ventus' heart was still incomplete, and the balance was tipped in the Darkness' favor."__  
><em>_Keniera 'mm-hmmm'ed to show she was still paying attention, although Vanitas' heartbeat in her ear was quite distracting.__  
><em>_"You were my complement; the light to complete me. But Xehanort controls some of the Darkness in my heart, and so he could fight the light within me and destroy it, sending it back into the Darkness."__  
><em>_"But Xehanort would still need a heart of pure light, right? And Ventus' heart is still incomplete."__  
><em>_Vanitas stiffened, his arms wrapping tighter around her back.__  
><em>_"Ventus woke up. He managed to join with a younger heart and borrow some of its light. His heart is slowly being repaired, and soon it'll be as pure as your own. Xehanort won't need you anymore."__  
><em>_Keniera flinched inwardly at his words; they were the truth, but they still stung.__  
><em>_"What am I supposed to do?"__  
><em>_Vanitas laughed, his lips brushing against her head as he buried his face in her hair.__  
><em>_"You don't have to worry about anything, butterfly."__  
><em>_He held her close to him and she relaxed into his chest, tracing the red veins of his suit with her forefinger.__  
><em>_"I've got a plan."___

_******___

_Keniera ran from Xehanort, her feet pounding the dust frantically and throwing up small clods of dirt. She could use her Keyblade Glider, but with no armor it would be a wasted effort.__  
><em>_"Van? Van!"__  
><em>_No answer.__  
><em>_Keniera stifled a sob and kept running, no idea on where Xehanort was now or what he was doing.__  
><em>Where did the Master go?_  
><em>_Her internal question was answered immediately as Xehanort dropped out of a vertical corridor and landed nimbly in front of her. She skidded to a stop and turned around, but not before he managed to latch on to her tunic.__  
><em>_"Going so soon, my dear? That won't do..."__  
><em>_Keniera struggled to break free as Xehanort released her shirt in favor of her arm, jerking it painfully behind her back.__  
><em>_"Van!" _Where is he?_  
><em>_Xehanort laughed cruelly and twisted her arm further, making her cry out.__  
><em>_"I thought you were my Master, that you were trying to protect me! I trusted you!"__  
><em>_"Ah, that is a common problem between those with light in their hearts. You trust far too easily, and you are led on easier still by lies; your trust makes you blind. For example; how can you trust Vanitas? A creature formed completely out of Darkness, emanating deceit and hate? Do you trust him purely because he said he _loved_ you?"__  
><em>_Xehanort snorted, shaking his head in disgust. Keniera had frozen, despair and dread lodging themselves in her chest._

"_How did you know that?"_

"_I have my ways, my dear. You think he really loves you? He doesn't know what love is. And I would stop calling out to him if I were you. Vanitas can't hear you, and you might want to save your breath; you won't be breathing much longer."__  
><em>_Keniera struggled in his grasp, ignoring the pain in her arm and trying to break free._

"_Vanitas loves me! You're just too stupid to admit it!"_

_She knew it was childish, but it was all she had. Insults were not her forte.__  
><em>_Xehanort shook her violently, his face contorted in rage.__  
><em>_"He is not _capable_ of love! He only has those emotions I instill in him! He. Can't. Love. You!"__  
><em>_Xehanort threw her down on 'you' and summoned his Keyblade. Two large Neoshadows rose up from the ground on either side of him and lunged for her, holding her down. Master Xehanort held his Keyblade steady, leveled at her heart. When he spoke again, his voice was back under control._

"_You ignorant child; he will never love you. It is much better you die with that knowledge than be led on by some silly notion."_

_Keniera watched in shock as he pulled his Keyblade back, preparing to run her through. Suddenly, she felt a strong pressure push on her chest, and gasped as her white cloud burst forth, attacking the Heartless restraining her. A section of the cloud also went after Master Xehanort; however, he batted it away as if it were a bothersome housefly. The cloud, done with the Heartless and finished healing her minor cuts and bruises, receded back into Keniera's body, leaving her completely drained._

_Xehanort laughed at her as she slumped to the ground, lying on her side. _

"_A noble effort, my dear, but a wasted one. Not even your defenses can penetrate my darkness; it is far too strong for you."_

_Xehanort approached her once more and placed the tip of his Keyblade over her heart, the sharp edge piercing her skin and causing a small drop of blood to emerge. Keniera trembled and closed her eyes, waiting for death. She didn't have any strength to fight him; it wouldn't do any good even if she did. Her only thoughts after that were of Vanitas. _He must've been hurt, or attacked, or something. He loves me; he wouldn't just leave me to die… Van? Would you?

_As if in answer, a shout sounded and Keniera could feel the Keyblade being lifted. Her eyes flew open and watched as Vanitas opened up a dark corridor beneath her former Master's feet. Xehanort managed a strangled cry of surprise before he fell into the pulsating darkness. Vanitas rushed to where she lay and dropped onto his knees beside her before scooping her up into his arms. Keniera was too shocked to react; she simply let him pick her up and hold her before she found her voice._

"_Van, where—what happened to you?"_

_Vanitas' armor was torn and singed in multiple places; some tears exposed nasty-looking cuts and injuries. Some places were still smoking._

"_I was ambushed by Heartless; Xehanort thought he could distract me long enough to kill you. Too bad it didn't work."_

"_Where'd you send him?"_

"_To a different world. He'll be back soon, so we've got to hurry, butterfly."_

_Keniera was confused. "Hurry and do what? Leave?"_

_Vanitas nodded. "You are. I'm staying."_

"_What? No! You're coming too, or I'm not going anywhere."_

"_You don't really have a choice, Keniera. You're too tired to fight me."_

_Keniera huffed and managed to cross her arms weakly across her chest. _

"_Put me down. Now."_

"_Sorry. I'm not in the mood to take orders. You're going to Radiant Gardens, and I'm going to stay. I can beat Xehanort, I'm sure. You, however, just need to be out of the crossfire."_

_Keniera couldn't believe it. "You're leaving me? You actually think you can beat the Master all by yourself? No way, I'm staying."_

_Vanitas stopped, still holding her tightly to his chest._

"_I'll come back for you, Keniera. Once this is all over, I'll come and get you."_

"_What am I supposed to do while I'm there? I've never been to any world other than this!"_

"_You won't know that. I'm keeping your memories."_

"_What?"_

"_You can't remember me, or Xehanort, or the Badlands, or anything. It'd be too dangerous; as soon as your strength was back up, you'd come running back here. I know you, that's exactly what you'd do."_

"_You can't be serious, Van! NO! I'm not leaving! We can take him together, I know it!"_

_Vanitas chuckled sadly and leaned down to peck her gently on the forehead. He summoned his Keyblade and tapped the crown of her head._

"_Sleep."_

_Keniera went limp in his arms; her eyes fell shut and her stubborn frown softened. She looked peaceful. Gently, Vanitas laid her down on the dusty ground and conjured up a white sheet. Wrapping her gently with it, he worked her memories of him and Xehanort and everything else into her black pinkie ring. He gathered her up once more and opened a dark portal before him. Without a glance back, he stepped through into Radiant Gardens._

Keniera woke up in Vanitas' arms with a start, startling him and almost causing them both to fall off the pier and into the ocean. Steadying her, Vanitas peered anxiously into her face with his amber-golden eyes.

"Well?"

Keniera looked at him long and hard before throwing herself onto him and sobbing.

"I remember, Van. I—I remember everything… I love you…"

Vanitas stroked her hair as she cried, just as he did on the day he had admitted he loved her.

"I'm glad you do, butterfly. And I love you, too."

**Yay! So chapter IX is complete! Sorry if it's a little, um, CRAPPY but I was just super busy all the time and junk. So yeah. **

**ANYWAY, Arthur the Original Thirteenth Member is the winner of the Character Contest! (Since they're the only ones that ENTERED!) So their character will be featured in the story sometime soon! YAY AGAIN! **

**Please, READ AND REVIEW! **


	10. Hearts of Gold: Chapter X

Hearts of Gold: Chapter X

**Oooohhh… Chapter X! It's officially the tenth chapter! Yay! Um, so yeah, this chapter was kinda hard to write, what with Keniera's memories restored and junk… Oh, and Holt'll be in this chapter too, since he didn't get any time in Chapter IX, so please read, review, and enjoy!**

**Oh! And Arthur the Original Thirteenth Member's character will be making a brief appearance in this chapter! Yay again!**

0*0*0*0*0*0

_Keniera woke up in Vanitas' arms with a start, startling him and almost causing them both to fall off the pier and into the ocean. Steadying her, Vanitas peered anxiously into her face with his amber-golden eyes. _

"_Well?"_

_Keniera looked at him long and hard before throwing herself onto him and sobbing._

"_I remember, Van. I—I remember everything… I love you…"_

_Vanitas stroked her hair as she cried, just as he did on the day he had admitted he loved her._

"_I'm glad you do, butterfly. And I love you, too."_

0*0*0 ***Holt*** 0*0*0

The hot savannah sun beat down on Holt's back as he stepped out of his portal and into the Pridelands.

"Man, it's so hot here!"

Holt heard no response to his exclamation, and ran his rough tongue over his nose to moisten it.

_Wait, what the-?_ Holt looked down to see a pair of burnt-red paws where his feet should be, and whipping his head around, saw a matching tail with a small brown tuft at the end.

"HOLY _CRAP_! I'VE GOT A _TAIL!_"

After a few rounds of chase-the-tail, Holt ran on all fours over to a nearby river and peeked in anxiously. A feline face stared back at him, its fur the same color as its paws and big brown eyes widened in amazement. A small white ring circled around his left eye, like a target and white fur covered its chest and surrounded its mouth.

"I'm a lion? How did this—?"

"Whaddya mean, 'I'm a lion'? Were you a bird or somethin' before?"

Holt jumped at the unknown voice and spun around, his tail accidentally catching him in the face. He scanned the brush surrounding him for signs of the speaker and saw none.

"Timon, that was rude. You should apologize."

The second voice chided the first, and Holt cocked his head to one side.

"Who's there? Show yourselves!"

"Promise you won't eat us first, Mr. Big Scary Lion, and maybe we will!"

"Oh Pumbaa, shut it! He didn't even know he was a lion! What could he do?"

Holt furrowed his eyebrows as a meerkat and a warthog emerged from behind a large brush, a tawny-yellow lion cub sleeping on the warthog's head. The meerkat was a tan color with brown stripes, and the warthog was a brownish-red with black hair running down its back and a small tuft to match at the end of its tail.

"See, Pumbaa? He's completely harmless! Aren't yah, kitty-kitty?" The meerkat's words were confident, but his face proved otherwise. Holt smirked and pounced at him, pinning the small animal to the ground. The false bravado evaporated completely and the meerkat cried out.

"PUMBAA, HEEELP! Oh please, good sir, don't eat me! I'm stringy and hard to digest, and—"

The meerkat dissolved into incoherent sobs. Holt laughed and backed off.

"Why would I eat you? I just knew you were bluffing!"

The warthog looked relieved as the meerkat stood and dusted itself off, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"I knew you wouldn't eat us; it was all an act! A trick, an illusion! I was just practicing my performances."

The warthog rolled its eyes and gently lowered the sleeping cub to the ground.

"Oh, Timon… So, who are you? We've never seen you around here before; are you from a different pride?"

Holt sat down on his haunches. "Well, my name's Holt. I'm looking for someone. Who are you three?" The warthog bowed, his tusks nearly touching the dusty ground.

"You may call me 'Pumbaa', and this is—"

"The name's Timon." The meerkat cut in, arms crossed over his chest.

Holt gestured to the lion cub. "Who's that?"

Timon and Pumbaa turned to look at the small lion. Pumbaa answered.

"We don't know. We found him in the desert, nearly dead. We're gonna keep 'im, right Timon?"

Timon dismissed the lion with a wave.

"Yeah, yeah, if he _ever _wakes up. And only if he doesn't try to eat us! C'mon, Pumbaa, let's get goin'."

Pumbaa nodded and scooped the cub onto his head again. He adjusted him a bit and then turned to Holt.

"You said you were lookin' for someone, right? Well, if you come with us, we can look for them together! What's their name?"

Holt started to follow after them.

"She's a girl, and her name's Keniera."

0*0*0 ***Keniera*** 0*0*0

"Are you okay?"

Keniera was startled out of her reverie by Vanitas' hand on her arm, his voice scattering her thoughts.

"Hm? Oh, yeah; I'm fine."

"I doubt that, butterfly. What's wrong?"

The two sat on a bench in the center of town; it was still early, so there weren't many people milling about. Yesterday's events flooded Keniera's mind as Vanitas took her hand. She shook herself and turned to smile at him. His tawny eyes regarded her worriedly; they had done that often since her memories had been restored.

"Nothing's wrong, Van. Honest. It's just…I'm trying to sort all this out in my head, y'know? And I'm worried. I'm worried about my friends, about Merlin and Isa and Mrs. Landan and Kairi and Lea and _Holt_… I just hope they're okay."

Vanitas' head drooped and his hand went slack.

"I've already told you I'm sorry… I didn't want to—"

"I know, Vanitas; it's okay. I've already told _you_ that."

Keniera squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him. "I forgive you, alright? You were just trying to protect me."

Vanitas nodded solemnly. Suddenly, he shot up from the bench, pulling her up with him.

"Oh! Remember when we first got here? This is where I sent Kairi! She's a Princess of Heart, so she had to be protected! I remember sending her here!"

Keniera beamed. "That's right! How are we supposed to find her?"

Vanitas turned to her and tapped her on the chest; directly over her heart.

"Your heart is forged from light from the Seven Princesses of Heart. Concentrate on Kairi's light and it should lead you to her!"

Keniera nodded eagerly and closed her eyes, trying to focus on Kairi.

_C'mon, c'mon! Kairi? Where are you? _A picture flashed behind Keniera's eyes; a tall, white house with green shutters and a mayor's seal on the front door.

Keniera opened her eyes and started forward, pulling Vanitas behind her.

"She's at the Mayors' house. Let's go!"

Ten minutes later, a maid ushered Keniera and Vanitas into the Mayor's house, leaving them in a large foyer to wait until the Mayor could see them. The foyer was expensively furnished with beautiful paintings and large, overstuffed armchairs. Vanitas sat in one and arrogantly draped his legs over the armrest, blowing out an exaggerated sigh. Keniera stood politely by the door.

"Well, isn't this place fancy-shmancy? Kairi must have it good!"

Keniera murmured an agreement and studied the paintings around her, letting her fingers trail over rough canvases decorated with sunsets and islands. Her memory of Vanitas and herself on the cliff side surfaced easily, as if it had never been missing…

"_Okay, I love… Sunsets. I'd be really, really sad if there weren't sunsets anymore."_

_Keniera turned to Vanitas, who was gazing out across the Graveyard. His eyes, traveling over the rows of dead Keyblades, reflected the stars; Keniera found herself naming constellations caught in the golden orbs. She shook her head to clear it of the distracting thoughts wandering through her head._

"_Now you."_

_Vanitas looked towards her, a reply springing to his lips, but nothing came out. Defeated, he sighed and looked out across the Graveyard once more, running a hand through his spiky black hair._

"_I guess I love sunsets too."_

Keniera felt herself blush as she remembered their conversation, suspecting she herself had been what Vanitas had been trying to say he loved. Her blush deepened as she felt Vanitas wrap his arms around her waist from behind, his breath blowing gently on her ear as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"I love you, Keniera."

"I love you too, Van."

They stood motionless like that for a moment or two before the sound of a throat being cleared emitted from across the room. They both turned to see a man in a navy pinstriped suit standing awkwardly in the doorway, a small red-headed girl peering out shyly from behind his legs. Vanitas released her and crossed his arms across his chest, staying composed while Keniera's face turned even redder. The man spoke, his voice deep and oddly comforting.

"I was told you know Kairi? Who are you?"

Keniera curtsied before answering. "Sir, my name is Keniera. I'm from… the same town as Kairi. We were neighbors."

Kairi stepped out from behind the Mayor's legs and approached Keniera cautiously. Keniera kneeled on the carpet to match her height, smiling encouragingly.

"I don't think I know you… Do I?"

Kairi's voice was timid, polite; the voice used to address strangers.

Keniera's smile disappeared almost immediately and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, Kairi… You don't remember me? You don't remember this?"

Keniera removed her flats to reveal bright pink toenails and wiggled them to enunciate. Kairi giggled and covered her mouth with her hand, her shyness temporarily abandoned.

"I like them. They're pink; like baby piggies! Did you do them yourself?"

Keniera felt a tear streak down her face and she put her shoe back on.

"You painted them for me. I painted yours, too. Blue, like the ocean…"

Kairi looked down at her own toes, a shimmery blue against the green carpet.

"I… I don't remember…" Kairi put a hand against her head, squinting her eyes hard. Keniera felt another tear fall, then another. She couldn't believe it.

_Kairi doesn't remember me? How…?_

Vanitas kneeled next to Keniera and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. The Mayor stepped forward also and took Kairi's hand in his own. She looked up to him and smiled, all confusion abandoned in her childish bliss.

"Daddy, can I go play with Sora and Riku and Tidus and Wakka and Selphie now? My room's clean, I promise!"

The Mayor smiled back and nodded, releasing her hand. Kairi approached Keniera again and hugged her neck; standing on tiptoes to reach even though Keniera was kneeling.

"I'm sorry I made you sad. Do you want to play with me and my friends? We'll go out to the play island!"

Keniera wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and smiled at the little girl.

"Sure, Kairi. I'd love to."

Kairi looked up at Vanitas. "You can come too, if you want."

"Sure, kiddo. We'll meet you out there, okay?"

"Okay."

Kairi turned to the Mayor. "Daddy, I'm leaving now. Do you want me to come home before dinner again?"

"I'll be waiting. Be careful, and don't tease Sora too much. You and Riku will be the end of him, I'm sure."

Kairi giggled before running out the door. "I won't, Daddy. Cross my heart!"

The three heard the door shut and little footsteps fade into the distance. The Mayor extended a hand and helped Keniera to her feet.

"I'm sorry. I should've warned you before I brought her in; Kairi doesn't remember anything. Sora and Riku, two local boys, found her on the beach a couple days ago. All she remembered was her name and age. She had no family to claim her, so my wife and I adopted her. I'm afraid I don't know any more than that. I'm sorry, but I have a meeting in a few minutes and need to leave. You can visit Kairi anytime you like. Maybe she'll remember you after a while; who knows?"

Keniera nodded and the Mayor dismissed himself. Vanitas still held her close.

"I don't know what happened; I didn't take her memories from her… How can she not remember?" Vanitas mumbled, his voice tight with guilt.

Keniera rested her head on Vanitas' chest and sighed.

"Maybe it's best she doesn't remember. If she did, she'd be devastated. She'd have lost all her friends and family, her grandmother…"

"…and it's all my fault."

Keniera shook her head. "You did what you thought was right; there's no fault in that. Come on, Kairi's waiting for us."

The two let themselves out of the Mayor's house.

"C'mon, guys! You can meet my new friends!"

Kairi was pulling on Keniera's jeans leg, gesturing wildly to her other friends near the shore. Vanitas laughed as Keniera latched onto his arm and dragged him along with her. They had just arrived onto the 'play island' and had been greeted by Kairi almost immediately, who was ecstatic over two new friends to show off. As the group of children approached, Keniera noticed one boy hanging behind, a star shaped fruit in his hands. Keniera's attention was quickly directed elsewhere, however, as she was introduced to Kairi's friends. There were Tidus and Wakka, two playful boys always willing for a quick game of Blitzball, Selphie, who was a little shy but sweet. She seemed to take to Vanitas instantly, and was begging for a piggy-back ride. Vanitas rolled his eyes but obliged anyway, lifting the girl onto his shoulders. Then there was Riku; a quiet, meditative boy. His hair intrigued Keniera the most, a soft silver color that contrasted hugely with his cerulean eyes. There was one more boy yet to be introduced; the one with the star fruit on the shore. Kairi called out to him, begging him to meet her new friends. As he approached, Keniera noticed that his hair looked familiar… and his face…

"Sora! Hurry up, you lazy bum!" Kairi laughed.

When he finally reached Keniera, she couldn't speak. His hair was a chocolate brown, and his eyes were a crystal blue. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly before sticking out his hand to Keniera.

"Hi, I'm Sora. You can call me Sora, 'kay?"

Keniera forced herself to shake the small hand. "I'm Keniera. Nice to meet you, Sora."

Vanitas stumbled over to them blindly, Selphie's hands covering his eyes.

"You're getting warmer, warmer, hot, super hot, super super hot, THERE!"

"Oy, now it's time for you to get off, Selphie. My hair can't take much more pulling!"

Vanitas lifted Selphie off his shoulders and set her down on the sand. She pulled on Tidus' arm, wanting to play ball with him. Vanitas made his way over to Keniera and wrapped an arm around her waist before turning to face Sora.

"So, who do we have—"

Sora and Vanitas' jaws both dropped as they took in each other. Aside from the difference in hair and eye color and the obvious age difference, they were identical.

"Well, that's interesting." Vanitas kneeled down in front of Sora.

"Do you know anyone named Ventus?"

Sora smiled widely, showing square, white teeth.

"Yeah, he's my friend! Do you know him, too?"

Vanitas' face pulled into something between a smile and a grimace. "Yeah, we've met a few times. Do you know where he is?"

"Sure! He's right here!"

Sora jabbed a small finger towards his own chest, his smile never fading. "He was tired, and he wanted to know if he could rest in my heart. I said it was okay, so now he's with me!"

Vanitas laughed quietly and stood, taking Keniera's hand. She didn't really know what to make of this conversation exactly; she just stood quietly and listened with growing interest.

_Ven's…inside Sora? Is that where he went? _Keniera looked over at Vanitas, who was still smiling but strangely quiet. Sora's smile, however, started to fade.

"Is that bad? That he's with me, I mean?"

"No, it's good. I'm glad he's with you; he needs someone to keep him company. You can do that, right Sora?"

Sora's smile sprung back onto his face. "Yup! He'll never be lonely with me around!"

Vanitas scratched the boy's head teasingly. "I'm glad."

The sun was starting to set over the ocean when Keniera collapsed on the soft white sand, completely exhausted. Vanitas was still going strong, with both Riku and Selphie on his shoulders and Tidus clinging to his pants' leg.

"Alright, kiddos; time to get off!"

Selphie and Riku groaned and slid off Vanitas' back, landing with soft thuds in the sand. Tidus, however, wasn't going to give up so easily.

"Oh, c'mon! Just one more minute?"

Vanitas, in response, reached down and grabbed Tidus' ankle. With one swift move, Tidus hung dangling from Vanitas' grip, his squeals of laughter resounding across the water.

"H—hey! Put me down! Aagh, Selphie! Heeellpp!"

"C'mon, Selphie, help me tickle 'im!" Riku called out, and the two set to work immediately, pinching Tidus' sides until the boy was red in the face and tears streamed down his face.

"O—okay! I—I give up! Uncle, _uncle_!"

Vanitas, satisfied with his victory, called off the mercenaries and set Tidus down on his feet. The boy stuck his tongue out at Vanitas playfully before scampering off to play Blitzball with Wakka. Sora and Kairi sat on the beach a small distance from Keniera, playing with a few Thalassa shells. Kairi was trying to show Sora how to make a good-luck charm from the shells, to little avail. The boy was clueless. Keniera laughed to herself and sat up as Vanitas came to sit by her, his arm automatically wrapping itself around her waist.

"I think we need a vacation." Vanitas stated simply, picking up a stray Thalassa shell and examining it. Keniera giggled.

"Seriously? We're on a tropical island, surrounded by beautiful oceans and white sand and all kinds of tourist attractions, and you think we need to go on vacation?" Keniera laughed again, leaning into him.

Vanitas gave her a look and brushed some sand from her hair.

"Well, that's the point I'm trying to make. We're living in a vacation spot, so it's not really a vacation. I meant that maybe we should go somewhere _fun_, somewhere _interesting_."

"I had fun today," Keniera pointed out, "and you're pretty interesting, if you ask me."

Vanitas laughed and pulled her closer; Keniera rested her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. Riku and Selphie laughed somewhere behind them, followed by a squeal. Sora and Kairi perked up and abandoned their arts-and-crafts lesson to see the commotion; Tidus and Wakka were missing, more than likely on the opposite side of the island. Keniera and Vanitas sat alone on the beach, their only company the occasional cry of seagulls above and the soft whispers of the ocean before them.

"I've heard of a pretty good vacation spot, actually." Vanitas' voice rumbled against Keniera's ear.

"Hm? Where?"

Vanitas paused, handing Keniera the Thalassa shell he'd been fidgeting with. It was a rosy pink with gold edging, and Keniera placed it gently in one of her pockets, next to a black button and a plastic toe ring she'd picked up in the sand earlier. Vanitas watched her pocket the shell before turning back to face the ocean. His hair twitched in the light breeze, the sun turning it a dusty coal color. Vanitas' eyes scanned the surface of the water before coming back to land on Keniera's face. She found herself blushing under the weight of his gaze, and leaned her head back onto his chest. Vanitas' arm around Keniera's waist lifted to stroke her hair, his fingers catching slightly in the brunette strands. He continued on with his idea, his voice carrying easily over the empty beach.

"It's a different world, and a fairly new one. I've heard there's this spot that has the most amazing waterfall, surrounded by jungle plants and flowers and trees and—"

Keniera looked up at him and giggled.

"Okay, okay! We'll go; when do we leave?"

"I see no point in waiting, do you?"

Vanitas stood, pulling Keniera up with him. Hand extended, he opened up a dark corridor on the beach and started forward, leading Keniera by the hand.

"Do you think Kairi'll notice we're gone? Should we tell her first?"

"I think she'll be fine; she seems too distracted by Sora and Riku." Vanitas gestured toward the large wooden playhouse, where Keniera could barely see Riku and Sora playfighting with wooden swords. Kairi stood by watching and cheering the two on. Keniera laughed and allowed Vanitas to lead her into the portal. Once they stepped through, he pulled her closer to his side; his warmth permeating her clothes and chasing away the chill of the darkness surrounding them. Only when they could see the light ahead did Keniera think to ask the name of the world they were headed to.

"Van, where exactly are we going?"

"It's this place called the Pridelands. I think you'll like it, butterfly."

Keniera snuggled closer to him, a warm arm reaching around her waist to hold her close.

"I know I will."

0*0*0 ***Holt*** 0*0*0

"You want me to eat _that_?"

"Well, duh. What else is there? I don't see a salad bar anywhere around here, Mr. Fancy Pants. Eat up!"

Timon held a fat green worm in his hand; extending it to Holt, who was looking a bit green himself.

"Uh, no thanks. I've—I've already had lunch." Holt's stomach chose the opportunity to growl loudly, displaying his lie. Timon arched a brown eyebrow.

"You sure? If you don't want it, I'll give it to Simba. He likes the green ones."

"G-go ahead. I'll find some… some fruit or something."

Timon shrugged and strolled over to the young cub, who was talking animatedly to Pumbaa. Timon offered him the worm and Simba devoured it enthusiastically.

Holt made a face and proceeded to claw his way up a nearby banana tree, knocking down a small bunch of the fruit with a well-aimed swipe of his paw. The bananas fell to the jungle floor, bruising the unlucky ones on the bottom. Holt leapt down from the tree and carefully sliced one open with a single claw. When all the bananas had been gutted and eaten, Holt made his way over to Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba. The first two had taken to Simba like fish to water almost as soon as they were convinced he wouldn't eat them; they questioned his strange story of how he came to be nearly dead in the desert, but they quickly put that aside. As Holt approached, he caught on to their conversation immediately and chuckled to himself.

"What's a Haku-nah Ma-whata?"  
>"It's Hakunah Matata. It means 'no worries'." Timon waved his hands in the air exaggeratedly, enunciating his point. Pumbaa joined in, his voice rising and falling in song.<p>

"It's our problem-freeee philosophyyyy, Hakunah Matata!"

Holt let his mind wander after that, the logistics (or lack thereof) already having been explained to him while Simba was unconscious. He found himself thinking of Keniera; wondering where she was, if she was alone, if she was hurt, if she had been taken by the old man and his lackey with the black and red armor… After 3 worlds and no sign of her, Holt was starting to worry. Thoughts of her stranded on a strange world, of her being held a prisoner, of her being hurt… Holt's head spun and his blood boiled.

_She'll be okay, she'll be fine, she's tough, she's an amazing fighter, she'll be—_

"Hellloooo, Earth to Holt! Snap out of it!" Timon snapped his fingers in front of Holt's face, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Huh, what? What'd I miss?"

Pumbaa gave him a strange look before answering.

"We were going to take Simba swimming in the waterfall. Wanna come with us?"

Holt shook his head, his thoughts already straying. "No thanks. I'm gonna explore a bit; I've gotta find my friend."

"Kanweera, right?" Timon scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. Holt chuckled and shook his head.

"_Keniera_. You three have fun, alright?"

Simba smiled at him, showing sharp white canines. "You bet! C'mon guys, let's go!"

Holt watched the three friends disappear into the trees, their excited voices fading into the distance.

"Have fun." He repeated, mumbling to himself.

0*0*0 ***Keniera*** 0*0*0

The first thing Keniera noticed when they stepped out of the portal was the waterfall.

It was beautiful; long fingers of water cascaded down an algae-green rock pile and filled a small watering hole below, before being carried away down a sparkling river. Flowers of every size and color surrounded the watering hole, along with ferns and other small brush. Brightly colored birds took flight from the thick curtain of trees surrounding them, startled by the sudden appearance of the two strangers. The entire clearing was entirely serene, and Keniera felt her body instantly relax.

The second thing Keniera noticed was the coal-black lion standing silently beside her. She let out a yelp and scampered back, the motion feeling strangely unfamiliar to her. The lion noticed her reaction and copied her, its golden eyes widening in surprise and… Golden eyes?

_They look so familiar… _Keniera felt her heart falter, and she took a hesitant step forward.

"V-Van? Is that y-you?" The lion's mouth fell open, revealing dagger-like white teeth.

"_Keniera? _What the hell? Why're you an oversized housecat?"

"I'm not a housecat, you're a lion!"  
>"So are you! And so I repeat: 'what the hell?'"<p>

Keniera glanced down at her feet, yelping again to see brown paws instead; the sunlight on their fur made them seem almost a caramel color.

"Cool! Look, butterfly; tails! We've got tails!"

Keniera raised her head to watch Vanitas turn around rapidly, trying to get a better view of his infinitely interesting backside. She couldn't help but laugh; boys were so simple sometimes.

"You're going to make yourself sick if you keep spinning around like that."

Considering her comment, Vanitas stopped and sat back on his haunches, examining her. If lionesses could blush, Keniera felt that she probably would be just about then.

"You know," Vanitas said thoughtfully, "for an oversized cat, you're pretty cute."

Keniera was sure she'd be blushing now.

"Oh really? You're pretty cute, too I guess."

"I know. Young girls beware, Vanitas the Kitty is on the prowl…"

Vanitas got into a hunting stance, slowly stalking towards Keniera. She rolled her eyes and pretended to ignore him.

"…and he's about to _pounce_!"

In a blur of movement, Vanitas lunged for Keniera and knocked her to the ground, the two of them rolling and tumbling until they landed in a tangled heap, Keniera surprisingly coming out on top. Vanitas laughed and looked up at her, his tawny eyes glinting. With a start, Keniera realized she was purring; a soothing rumble emanating from her throat. Embarrassed, she pulled away from him, but Vanitas wrapped his paws around her, keeping her in place as he leaned up to lick her ear affectionately. He started to purr as well, and the two laughed out loud; Vanitas purring was just too funny. Somewhere above them, a bird called out; another answered farther away, its melodic voice reaching their ears over the crash of the falling waterfall.

"I told you I'd like this place." Keniera said quietly. Vanitas didn't answer; he just reached up to lick at her ear again, his rough tongue smoothing out her caramel fur.

Voices reached their ears, along with the rustling of underbrush. Keniera and Vanitas untangled themselves and jumped to their feet, Vanitas immediately standing in front of her in a protective stance. Keniera walked forward to stand beside him, her muscles taunt to either fight or flee. The voices and the rustling grew louder, until an odd trio stepped into the clearing. A warthog, a young lion cub, and a meerkat all froze as they caught sight of the two teenaged lions; their carefree conversation screeching to a halt. Vanitas spoke first.

"Who're you three? And you better answer; I've been feeling a bit peckish ever since this morning, I could go for a little snack."

The meerkat audibly swallowed, and the warthog started to back away into the underbrush. The cub looked at them with obvious interest. Vanitas growled menacingly; the warthog and meerkat seemed ready to run at any moment.

Keniera rolled her eyes. "Van, seriously?" She stepped forward gingerly, hoping not to alarm them further. "What he meant was, it's nice to meet you. And don't worry," she added, seeing the meerkat's suspicious eyes, "we won't eat you. He's just exaggerating."

The lion cub stepped forward, obvious curiosity written on his yellow features. "I'm Simba; this is Timon, and this is Pumbaa," he gestured to the meerkat and the warthog, respectively. "so who're you?"

"I'm Vanitas," Vanitas spoke up, sitting back down and stretching. "but you can call me Van."

"I'm Keniera."

The meerkat, Timon, perked up visibly at her name. "That sounds familiar; you new here?"

Keniera nodded. "Mostly just visiting. Why?"

"Oh, I think I've heard your name somewhere before… Hmmm…" Timon tapped his chin with his finger.

After a few moments, he shrugged. "Ah, never mind. Maybe it'll come to me after we swim for a while. You're free to join us if Van promises to keep his paws and his _teeth_ to himself!"

"…not making any promises." Vanitas mumbled under his breath, just loud enough for Keniera to hear. She smiled and nodded at Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa.

"We'd love to."

Keniera sat quietly on the edge of the watering hole, drying her wet fur with her rough tongue as the four boys staged a diving contest at the top of the waterfall.

"Okay, Keniera; you gotta judge, alright? One-to-ten, highest number wins," Timon called down, cupping his hands around his mouth, "and don't just pick Vanitas! I want honest results!"

Keniera laughed and lowered her now-dry paw back to the grass.

"Alright, Timon! I promise! Go ahead and start!"

The four lined up; Pumbaa, Simba, Timon, and Vanitas. Timon looked a bit nervous standing between two lions, but Keniera had already forced Vanitas to promise not to snack on Timon or Pumbaa.

Timon was still doubtful, though.

Pumbaa leaped off the edge of the waterfall, tucking himself in half and promptly touching his back hooves before straightening out again and entering the water gracefully, without a splash.

"9!" Keniera declared as Pumbaa resurfaced, clapping her paws together as he climbed out of the watering hole and bowed before her before taking the seat beside her on the grass. They both watched and applauded as Simba jumped, yelling out a victorious cry before splashing down in the cold water.

"8!" Simba beamed and sat next to Pumbaa. Timon was next, and he managed to make a belly flop seem partly graceful, earning him a 4.

As Vanitas approached the edge of the waterfall, he winked at Keniera. She had just enough time to catch his meaning before he cannon-balled off the waterfall and drenched her in an enormous splash. She sat spluttering as he surfaced, and wiped the wet hair from her eyes as he climbed up onto the shore.

"Well, judge. How'd I do?"

In response, Keniera tackled him; pushing them both back into the watering hole. He laughed and coughed as she dunked him, her eyes betraying her angry act. Eventually, she started laughing too and let him go, climbing back up to take her place next to Pumbaa once again. Vanitas shook himself off and sat on her other side.

"Well Keniera, who won?" Simba's voice was hopeful, his childish ambition desiring a prize.

Keniera decided to let him have it. "Well, your dive had personality… so I'd have to say you and Pumbaa tied. I'll change your 8 to a 9."

Simba cheered and jumped into the air before running over and rubbing himself on her legs.

"Yeah! Take that, Timon!" Timon called for a rematch and he and Simba went rummaging for grubs, arguing over results. Pumbaa rolled over onto his back to sun himself, and Vanitas sidled up next to Keniera. He nuzzled her cheek with his, dampening her fur.

"You still haven't given me my score, butterfly."

Keniera purred and closed her eyes, leaning into him. "I'll give you a 10, but only because you're so charming, Beauty Queen."

Vanitas chuckled quietly. "Damn, you remember that? Of all the things you could've brought up, you pick that? What am I gonna do with you?"

"You could kiss me."

Vanitas thought for a second. "That'll do."

Keniera turned to face him, and Vanitas brought his face close to hers. Their noses were centimeters apart before Timon interrupted them, running towards them and waving his arms.

"Hey! Hey, Keniera! I remembered! Oh wow, you're not gonna believe this! See, there's this guy, and he's been looking for you, saying it's real important that he find you, and geez I forgot and he's gonna kill me! I've gotta go find him and tell him you're here!"

Vanitas jumped to his feet, growling. The hackles on the back of his neck raised and his back arched. Timon backed away, his hands raised in surrender.

"What's his name? Is it Xehanort? Where is he?"

Timon shook his head. "No, not Xehanort. It's _Holt_. His name is _Holt_."

This time it was Keniera's turn to jump up.

"Holt's here? Where?"

"I'll go find him; just stay put."

"Hurry!"

Timon scrambled off into the trees, calling for Holt loudly. Keniera tried to steady her heart; it wouldn't do anyone any good if she had a heart attack. Vanitas was strangely quiet.

"Holt's the one I almost killed, isn't he? The one you came to save…"

Keniera caught on immediately. She pressed her face into Vanitas' chest, his black fur filling her vision.

"He's my best friend. You were being controlled. I love you. Case closed."

Vanitas, reassured, rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Think he'll recognize me?"

This stopped Keniera for a second. _What would happen if he did recognize Vanitas? What would happen then?_

"I don't think he will. If he does, he's just going to have to live with it. You're not leaving me."

Vanitas started to purr. "Thanks, butterfly."

0*0*0 ***Holt*** 0*0*0

"Holt! Holt!"

Timon came crashing through the underbrush, panting and sweating. Holt jumped, sensing urgency.

"What, Timon? What's wrong? Where's Pumbaa and Simba?"

"They're at the waterfall! And so is Kanweera!"

Holt froze, his heart thudding loudly in his chest.

"Keniera? Here?"

Timon nodded, too out of breath to speak.

"Let's go!"

Holt tore through the jungle after the meerkat, dodging stray branches and brambles. He cut his paw on a sharp stone, but didn't feel it; his mind was on one thing. Keniera, alive and well and _here_. As they neared the clearing, he could faintly hear Simba and Pumbaa talking, and a feminine laugh.

Her laugh.

With renewed anticipation, he shot ahead of Timon, using his hearing to track down Keniera's laughter. As he burst into the clearing, the world seemed to freeze. He saw Pumbaa and Simba beaming at him, proud to help him on his mission. He saw a strange black lion with golden eyes whom he ignored. His eyes finally landed on a beautiful caramel-colored lioness with crystal blue eyes, marred only by a small ring of gold around the irises. Her face was pulled into a huge smile as she recognized the russet-red lion with deep brown eyes.

"Holt?"

"Keniera!"

Holt couldn't help himself; he launched himself at her and pressed his forehead against hers, just wanting to be close to her. She smelled like damp earth and sunshine, and he laughed.

"You're okay, you're not hurt; are you? Are you hurt? Did that old bastard or his demon spawn hurt you? How did you get out? Where have you been?"

Keniera took a deep breath. "I'm not hurt, they didn't hurt me, I was rescued, and I've been staying in Destiny Islands. Any more questions?"

Holt pulled away from her, still smiling. His face hurt, but he couldn't stop smiling. Suddenly, a black shape caught his eye. He turned to face black-haired, golden eyed lion; something seemed so familiar about him…

"Who's that?"

"That's Vanitas, he-"

"I rescued her from Radiant Gardens before it was destroyed. I brought her to Destiny Islands and then here. Who're you?"

Holt's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Even his voice was faintly familiar…

"I'm Holt. I'm Keniera's best friend. I was her first friend in Radiant Gardens after the old man abandoned her. I'm also her Keyblade trainer."

Vanitas and Holt fell silent, the tension thick between them. Keniera cleared her throat and stepped between the two boys to face Holt.

"Have you seen any of the others? I sent Mrs. Landan to Disney Town with you…"

"Yeah, she's there. So is Merlin and Lea, although before I left he was getting ready to search for Isa… Oh, Cid's in Disney Town, too. I haven't seen Kairi…"

"Kairi's in Destiny Islands. Vanitas sent her there before she could get hurt. She's been adopted…"

"That's great! What about her grandma and Mr. Landan, though? I haven't seen either of them…"

"I don't know where Kairi's grandma is, and Mr. Landan… He died."

"Oh. I'm sorry, sugar."

Holt didn't hear Vanitas growl. "'Sugar'? Seriously?"

Keniera willed herself not to cry; Holt was here, she shouldn't cry. Instead, she touched her forehead to his again and laughed.

"Don't worry. I'm just happy you're here, Holt."

"I'm happy I found you, Keniera."

They were quiet for a few minutes before Timon cleared his throat, looking smug.

"Yes, well, that's all good. Now, what do I get for finding her?"

Holt thought for a moment. "You can have all my bug rations. Enjoy."

Timon fist-pumped victoriously before scampering off to brag to Simba and Pumbaa, eager to show off and be the center of attention. Keniera laughed and moved to sit by Vanitas. He wrapped his tail around her back possessively, as if Holt would try to take her away. In fact, when Holt saw this, he didn't seem too happy.

"So, uh, Vanitas… Your tail…"

"What about it?" Vanitas twitched it at Holt, daring him to question.

Holt's gaze hardened. "You might want to watch that thing. Personal space, y'know?"

"Keniera doesn't seem to mind."

Keniera blanched; the tensions surrounding them were becoming uncomfortable. "Guys, it's…"

"I think she might, actually." Holt's voice sounded more like a growl.

"Hey, please don't…"

"I beg to differ," Vanitas twitched it again, "I think she might enjoy it." His voice stayed cool and controlled. Keniera sensed what was coming and rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? Can we just…"

"Take it off her."

"Holt, Van, please…"

"Make me."

"_Shut up_!"

Both boys started, surprised at her sudden outburst. Holt was the first to speak.

"Keniera, I'm just-"

"It doesn't matter, okay? Just, please don't fight. I got my best friend back today, and I'd like for us all to get along."

Holt and Vanitas both muttered an 'okay' and fell silent. The three sat in uncomfortable silence before something clicked in Holt's head… He shot up, jumping to all fours. He growled and his hair stood on end. Keniera looked at him worriedly.

"Holt, what's-?"

Holt's gaze was locked on Vanitas.

"It's you. You're the old man's demon spawn. The voice, the eyes… You're goin' down."

Holt launched himself at Vanitas, claws and teeth bared. Keniera screamed.

0*0*0*0*0*0

**Yay! There's Chapter X! The new character will be introduced around Chapter XII or Chapter XIII now, but oh well! As always, read and review! **

**Peace, love, and cupcakes;**

**~*KpCw*~**


	11. Hearts of Gold: Notice

To all my followers and reviewers, this is a notice stating that the next few chapters of Hearts of Gold will be postponed due to conflictions within the author's schedule. This mainly involves disputes between family members and legal procedures, but that is none of your buisness. Also, I have disabled Private Messaging due to saftey concerns. Anything you wish to tell me can be posted in a review. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm being a bi***, but I need to take some time to go over what is really important. I will try to get up more chapters, but I just want you all to know that there is a very real possibility that Hearts of Gold may be discontinued. I'm sorry. Thanks for all your support so far.

~KpCw


	12. Hearts of Gold: Chapter XI

Hearts of Gold: Chapter XI

**HERE WE GO! YEEEEAAAHHHH! Sorry it's so short, but I'm limited on time right now and I just feel like breaking house rules and posting this. READ AND ENJOY, BECAUSE I'LL PROBABLY GET IN TROUBLE FOR POSTING STUFF ONLINE AGAIN! Trying to lift myself out of a depression, and I think that keeping myself unnecessarily busy should do it. I won't be able to upload often, but I'm sick of starting stories that never get finished… THIS ONE WILL BE COMPLETED! I swear to you all on Kingdom Hearts itself that I will NOT leave y'all hanging! Wow, epic rush… Okay, so let's get started!**

0*0*0*0*0*0

_The three sat in uncomfortable silence before something clicked in Holt's head… He shot up, jumping to all fours. He growled and his hair stood on end. Keniera looked at him worriedly._

"_Holt, what's-?"_

_Holt's gaze was locked on Vanitas._

"_It's you. You're the old man's demon spawn. The voice, the eyes… You're goin' down."_

_Holt launched himself at Vanitas, claws and teeth bared. Keniera screamed._

0*0*0 *Keniera* 0*0*0

With an enraged snarl, Holt and Vanitas collided. Teeth gnashed and claws were unsheathed as Keniera stood still as a stone. Holt was tearing at Vanitas with everything he had; Vanitas, on the other hand, made no offensive move. He ducked his head to evade Holt's swipes easily and squirmed just enough to keep the russet lion from latching onto his throat with dagger-like teeth. Timon, Pumbaa and Simba halted in their activities and gaped at the warring felines, horror and grim curiosity haunting their eyes. As Holt managed to rake a knifed paw across Vanitas' chest, Keniera threw herself at the offensive lion and pushed him off the coal-colored lion. Vanitas eyes the ragged wound with pained interest, cocking his head to one side as the black fur there grew wet and matted with blood.

"Holt! Stop it!" Keniera hissed at him, pinning him to the ground. His earth-brown eyes were confused for half a second before they hardened again, this time at her.

"Why? Look what he did to our home, to you! You're defending him now, after everything he's done? What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you? Don't you listen to me? Vanitas saved me from Master Xehanort, the old man! If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead!"

Holt snorted in disbelief, and Keniera dug her claws into his chest, not enough to puncture his skin but enough to cause him pain and make him listen.

"You don't know all the sides of the story, Holt; if you'd just shut up and listen, I'd explain it to you!"

Holt's eyes found Vanitas watching Keniera, a strange look on his face. Holt met Keniera's eyes and saw the anger there, the rage. Understanding hit him like a train.

"What's up? You like him, don't you? Don't you?"

Keniera was caught off guard and Holt pushed her off of him. He shook his fur out and glared at her, a sick combination of disbelief, betrayal, and anger. Vanitas rose to his feet as well, allowing crimson drops to fall from his chest and stain the ground below him. The two stared each other down, neither submitting to the other's gaze. Keniera broke the silence, but her plea was short lived.

"Holt, I—"

"Are you kidding me, Keniera? He's evil! How do you know he's not using you to get what he wants? How can you trust him? I've known you for almost two years and some guy comes in, destroys your home, kills your friends and you suddenly like him? What the _hell_?"

Vanitas growled and stepped forward as Keniera cringed at Holt's words.

"Don't yell at her. Ever."

Holt rolled his eyes. "Oh, so now you're going to defend her and make me seem like the bad guy, huh?"

"I'm not making you 'look like the bad guy'. You seem to be doing a halfway decent job of it yourself."

Keniera sat down heavily, her thoughts clouding over as the two lions continued their insults. Vanitas' chest was bleeding more steadily now, although if it bothered him he didn't show it. The two kept at it, their voices steadily rising until they were both shouting.

"…been there for her ever since I found her, if you think I'm gonna leave her now…"

"I knew her before she ever came to Radiant Gardens! You're just getting yourself waist-deep in something you don't understand…"

"I understand enough to know that darkness doesn't play fair! You're just using her for ulterior motives; that's how it always plays out!"

_Mrs. Landan gave her a long, lingering look. "You certainly can. Your power is strong, filled to overflowing with light. But be careful," she added. "Darkness doesn't play fair; it will manipulate you in any and every way. There is a great evil lingering here, I can—"_

"—_Sense it." Keniera finished for her. Mrs. Landan gave her a weak smile and nodded. _

Keniera stood, her mind reeling as she thought of a way to handle the warring lions. Simba, Timon and Pumbaa had long since excused themselves from the clearing. The argument continued.

"What makes you think I'm not different? What if I was?"

"Oh, don't give me that! Darkness is always the same; evil, manipulative, uncaring…"

"Uncaring? Everything I've done for Keniera was _because_ I cared! But how would you know, huh?"

"Oh that's it, just wait 'till I dig my claws into those golden eyes of yours!"

Holt took a swipe at Vanitas' face, missing his nose by inches as Vanitas pulled back instinctively. The sudden jerking movement pulled at his wound, and Vanitas winced before quickly disguising it. Holt didn't notice, but Keniera did.

"Enough! What is wrong with you two?"

Holt shot her a glare, his brown eyes flashing. "I was just about to ask the same thing, actually. Keniera, you can't be serious about this! He's pure Darkness; he practically reeks of it!"

Vanitas sat down and raised a paw to scratch behind his ear nonchalantly. "It's not like you smell any better…"

Keniera shot him a look before turning back to Holt. "Yes, he's pure Darkness; I'm pure Light. Holt, don't you see? The Prince of Darkness and the Princess of Light! We're the guardians of Kingdom Hearts and all the worlds—"

"You actually believe all that crap? Are you stupid?" Holt immediately regretted his words, seeing Keniera's hurt expression. "Wait, Keniera; I'm sorry! I just meant—"

"I know what you meant, Holt."

Keniera turned around to face Vanitas. "I want to go, okay? Can you…?"

Vanitas nodded and a dark portal opened up beside her. Glancing in, Keniera nodded and helped Vanitas to his feet, biting the scruff of his neck to pull him up.

"Okay, I'm good. Let's go." Keniera nodded again and released him, following behind the coal-black lion as they made their way into the portal. Holt stood motionless, shock plainly displayed in his face.

"Where are you going? I said I was sorry, Keniera!"

Keniera turned back to look at him, struggling to keep the tears from her voice. Vanitas stopped and waited patiently for her.

"I'm leaving, Holt. Vanitas needs a potion and you need to cool down. I'm sorry, Holt," Keniera added, seeing his gaze harden again, "but I need to think. Bye."

Keniera and Vanitas exited through the portal, leaving Holt alone in the clearing in the light of the setting sun.

0*0*0 *Badlands* 0*0*0

Master Xehanort stood silently overlooking the Keyblade Graveyard, his hands folded calmly behind his back. Although his demeanor was cool and controlled, his emotions begged to differ. Anger and frustration was eminent in his eyes; they glowed with an unearthly hate as he let his gaze drift over rows and rows of dead Keyblades. _That stupid girl has nearly ruined everything; I should've destroyed her as soon as she fell into my hands. Because of her, Vanitas is growing ever vigilant against my persuasions. However, he can't hold back the Darkness forever; sooner or later he will have to lower his defenses. Either that,_ the old man mused, _or he will lose control altogether once his heart grows weary of resistance… _

Soft footfalls approaching behind him brought his attention back to reality, scattering thoughts of Vanitas and the wretched girl. With a smirk, Xehanort recognized the presence of his new apprentice; one destined to succeed. The old man turned to face the man, acknowledging his presence.

"Report."

Xehanort's command carried across the barren ground easily, coming back to echo in his own ears. For a moment, the only sound to be heard was the quiet whisper of wind blowing sand across the Badlands, ruffling the man's close-cropped black hair. He was dressed in torn denim jeans and a sleeveless black turtleneck, his pale skin practically glowing in the low light of the Badlands. His voice was velvet smooth, concealing the bit of malice held within easily.

"They visited the Pridelands, went swimming. Another showed up and argued with Keniera and Vanitas. Vanitas and the other man fought, Vanitas was injured; a minor wound at best, but enough to weaken him after a period of time. Blood loss. Keniera and the man argued; afterwards Vanitas and Keniera left. I managed to track their portal back to Destiny Islands. They seemed to have grown closer; Vanitas and the other man were arguing over _her, _and she defended _him_."

Xehanort nodded absentmindedly, his left hand stroking his chin. This was important information, regardless of the strengthened bonds between his two former apprentices. His eyes studied the young man before him; noticing the subtle similarities between this new apprentice and Vanitas. Both men were about the same height, about 5'8'', and had similar builds; although the man currently serving him was less muscular and a tad bit wiry. They both had ink-black hair, although Vanitas' was sculpted into gravity-defying spikes while the other kept his short and manageable. They both had the same tawny gold eyes, although the new apprentice's had recently converted to their current state from an interesting shade of green. Xehanort shook his head to clear his thoughts before speaking to his new apprentice.

"We need to break them away from the Islands. If I am to continue with my plans, I will need them to be somewhere more suited to my… abilities. Destiny Islands is filled with Light; it would be exceedingly difficult to call upon Darkness in an environment such as that. Stir them up a bit. I trust you have improved in controlling Heartless?"

The apprentice nodded, summoning his scythe along with a few Neoshadows.

The scythe was tall and jet-black; a faint, shimmering ribbon of red outlined the blade and painted flames traveled the rod from end to mid-section. The Neoshadows twitched nervously as the man raised his weapon, more commonly referred to as Death's Wing, before striking the ground with it. Large, black cracks surrounded the man and more Heartless emerged from their depths, coming to stand obediently before him.

Xehanort smiled, his lips stretching over pointed teeth as he took in the malevolent sight.

"Very good, Victor. You have improved _immensely._"

"Thank you, Master."

Xehanort turned his back on Victor and folded his hands behind him once again.

"Scare them off, but don't kill them. I want them alive, but scared. Do whatever it may take to accomplish this."

"Yes Master."

Xehanort smirked and closed his eyes as he listened to Victor leave via dark corridor. Soon, his plans would be in motion, and there would be no one stopping him.

Not even a certain Princess of Light.

0*0*0 *Keniera* 0*0*0

As Keniera and Vanitas stepped onto the white, sandy shores of the play island, Keniera was happy to see her hands and feet again, and to stand upright. The salty breeze off the ocean blew strands of her hair around her face, and her light blue tunic billowed gently. Keniera sighed happily and stretched, her gaze wandering to Vanitas as she extended her arms above her head. With a sudden start, she gasped and dug into her pockets frantically, pulling out her small vial of dittany. Vanitas had a crimson-stained hand clutched to his chest, his face paler than usual and the front of his black tee shirt tattered and torn. Keniera could barely see four ragged wounds striping his chest.

"Van! Lie down, slowly!"

Vanitas nodded slightly, closing his eyes. Keniera pulled on his hand, helping him to stretch out onto the sand. Carefully, she removed his hand from his chest and applied a few drops to each wound, wrapping his bloodied hand in both of hers as he hissed with the pain.

"I hate dittany. It hurts."

"Well, I hate seeing you with big scratches all over your chest. Be quiet, it'll be done soon."

Vanitas closed his mouth and eyes, breathing deeply through his nose as the scratches closed up. Once they were gone, he lay still for a few more moments before opening his eyes again. They locked onto Keniera's face; all traces of physical pain gone but emotional pain rising to take its place.

"I ruined it for you, didn't I?"

"Ruined what?"

"Seeing your best friend again."

Keniera paused, not sure how to explain.

"That wasn't my best friend. Or, at least, he wasn't _acting_ like my best friend," she commented. "Holt's trustworthy and laid-back, not jealous and aggressive like he was in the Pridelands. I think he was just suspicious and tense; and not knowing you, he probably just assumed that you were on some kind of mission to capture me. Holt reads a _lot_ of 'damsel in distress' stories, if you haven't noticed."

Vanitas chuckled and pushed himself up onto his elbows.

"Yeah, I noticed. He was the heroic defender and I was the evil knight, both struggling to win the affections of the beautiful princess."

Keniera blushed and pulled apart the tatters on his shirt.

"Your scratches are gone. Feel any better?"

"Yeah, although I'm a little sore."

Keniera smiled, replacing the dittany vial in her pocket. Vanitas patted the sand next to him and she scooted to accommodate him. Keniera let her head rest on his shoulder.

"So, what now? Our vacation was cut a bit short, if you ask me." Vanitas' words were muted by his face in her hair, but Keniera made them out all the same. She thought for a moment or two, staring out over the ocean before she answered.

"I'd rather stay here with you than go somewhere else. Is it safe to stay here for so long?"

Vanitas nodded, pulling his face away from her hair to meet her eyes.

"This world is full of light; it'd be easy enough to conceal your light within its boundaries."

"Won't Xehanort expect that?"

"Yes, but the light will discourage him from coming here. He's strongest where Darkness is prevalent, just like me."

The last part of his sentence was barely audible, but Keniera heard it still.

"You're not like him, Van. I've only ever seen you do good; you rescued me from Xehanort twice, you've helped me to find my friends, you didn't kill Holt… Why do you keep lowering yourself to his level?"

Vanitas fisted his hands in his hair, giving Keniera a frustrated look.

"Because I _am_ evil! Do you know how hard it is to keep the Darkness inside me in check all the time? How I'm scared out of my mind that I'll lose control around you, that I'll hurt you, that you'll leave me…"

Keniera was silent for a moment, letting Vanitas calm down before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I won't leave you, Van. Ever. I know this is all moving so fast; sometimes I think I'm rushing so much that everything's blurring around me. I mean, just two or three days ago, I wouldn't have known you ever existed. I'd just keep living my life everyday like I always had."

Vanitas looked at her, keeping quiet. Keniera took that as an encouragement and continued on with her speech.

"In so little time, I've been kidnapped, my home world's been destroyed, I argued with my best friend, I've been attacked by an old man…"

At a remorseful look from Vanitas, Keniera leaned her head on him again.

"I've also had all my memories restored, traveled to different worlds I'd never dreamed of, judged a diving contest between animals, and fell in love with a guy who believes he's evil just because an old coot forced him to do bad things he wouldn't normally do. I love you, Vanitas. Don't ever doubt that. Ever."

With that, Keniera stretched up and pecked Vanitas on the cheek, feeling unusually bold. Vanitas sighed and pressed his face into Keniera's hair.

"When you say things like that, it makes keeping the Darkness back just a little easier. I love you too, butterfly."

The two were silent for a moment or two, sitting quietly in the sand on the shore. Vanitas was the first to break the silence, eager to change the subject to a lighter mood.

"Want an ice-cream? I'm starved."

Keniera laughed quietly.

"Sure, Van."

"What? What's so funny?"

"You remind me of Sora. That 'puppy-dog face'… It's so cute."

"Hmm… Well, we are connected… I guess that's where he gets his looks from, huh?"

Keniera laughed again and shook her head.

"Connected? You have yet to explain that to me, you know."

She swatted at Vanitas as he grimaced.

"That's too long a story for right now, okay? Maybe some other time."

"I'll hold you to that, you know."

"Yeah, I know. C'mon, I hear a sea-salt ice cream calling our names."

Vanitas pulled Keniera to her feet and took her hand, leading her towards the boats to the mainland.

0*0*0*0*0*0

**Yes, that's right, I'M BACK! Sure, it's against the rules but WHO CARES? So, it's been almost 3 months since I've worked on this, so I apologize if I'm not up to par or a bit rusty… This chapter is pretty short, but once again, I don't' have a lot of time anymore… ANYWAY, I hope you all will forgive me and leave me a review telling how much you missed me! (hint, hint, wink!)**


	13. Hearts of Gold: Chapter XII

Hearts of Gold: Chapter XII

**Hewwo, FanFiction readers! It's meee, KpCw! Oh, and I brought a new chapter with me! Chapter XII! I don't really know what'll be going on here, since I'm just making this up as I go, but I'm sure it won't be COMPLETELY awful… Lol. So, yeah. Read, review, all that good shtuff. ^^ I'd really like it if you did!**

0*0*0*0*0*0

_With that, Keniera stretched up and pecked Vanitas on the cheek, feeling unusually bold. Vanitas sighed and pressed his face into Keniera's hair. _

"_When you say things like that, it makes keeping the Darkness back just a little easier. I love you too, butterfly."_

_The two were silent for a moment or two, sitting quietly in the sand on the shore. Vanitas was the first to break the silence, eager to change the subject to a lighter mood._

"_Want an ice-cream? I'm starved."_

_Keniera laughed quietly._

"_Sure, Van."_

"_What? What's so funny?"_

"_You remind me of Sora. That 'puppy-dog face'… It's so cute."_

"_Hmm… Well, we are connected… I guess that's where he gets his looks from, huh?"_

_Keniera laughed again and shook her head._

"_Connected? You have yet to explain that to me, you know."_

_She swatted at Vanitas as he grimaced. _

"_That's too long a story for right now, okay? Maybe some other time."_

"_I'll hold you to that, you know."_

"_Yeah, I know. C'mon, I hear a sea-salt ice cream calling our names."_

_Vanitas pulled Keniera to her feet and took her hand, leading her towards the boats to the mainland._

0*0*0 *Holt* 0*0*0

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID!"

Holt slammed his fist into the side of the Train Station in Twilight Town, barely flinching at the feeling of his skin being scraped raw from his knuckles. In his mind, he watched Keniera walk through the black portal with that… thing… over and over again. Just thinking about him, his hand on her shoulder, that look on his face… Holt's head throbbed. He punched the station wall again, involuntarily cringing as his fingers shattered with the impact.

"She's gone, she probably hates me now, I'm so stupid…"

Holt clenched his broken fingers, concentrating on the pain to calm himself. _Breathe, breathe, breathe…_ He could still see her face, her eyes cold and hurt and pained. Holt felt his skin heat up and he gritted his teeth, slamming his injured hand against the wall again.

"_DAMN!"_

"That's not a very nice word, mister."

Holt started at the young voice and spun around. A small girl in a bright orange dress stood at the bottom of the steps, her head cocked to one side. Two small boys were with her, pulling at her hands. All three of them couldn't have been more than six or seven. Holt furrowed his brow.

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"The D-word isn't a nice word. You should learn nicer words."

One of the boys, a blonde, rolled his eyes impatiently and stamped his foot.

"C'mon, Olette! We don't have all day! I want an ice cream!"

"Wait, Hayner! Pence, make him wait, will you?"

Olette pouted at the other boy, a round one with dusty black hair. The boy shifted from foot to foot before pulling on Hayner's camouflaged vest.

"Hayner, let's play tag until Olette's done. Please? I'll be it."

Hayner grinned and nodded before releasing Olette's hand.

"You're on!"

The two boys scrambled off, leaving Holt relatively alone with the little girl. Olette watched Holt with apparent interest before her eyes landed on his hand, swollen and bruised.

"Mister, is your hand okay? I have a bandage if you want it."

Holt looked down at his hand and flexed the broken fingers painfully.

"It'll be fine."

Olette looked disappointed. "Are you sure? It has Moogles on it." She pulled it from a pocket on her dress, a small adhesive bandage with, sure enough, Moogles adorning a red background.

Holt smiled, holding out his hand with the broken fingers, pretending to contemplate.

"Well, only if you promise to be careful."

Olette beamed as she ran up the steps, carefully peeling off the backing of the bandage before gently sticking it to the back of his hand. She smoothed it out with tiny fingers and stepped back to admire her handiwork.

"All better, mister?"

Holt used his good hand to ruffle her hair. "Good as new. Thank you, Olette."

She giggled and blushed. "You're welcome, mister. Oh, I've got to go now. Goodbye!"

Holt smiled and waved as Olette darted off to join the two boys and raced down the street with them.

Holt touched the Moogle bandage with one finger before summoning his Keyblade and quickly healing his damaged hand. He sat down against the side of the station, smiling to himself.

_She didn't know me, but she helped me anyway… Have I been taking this thing with Vanitas the wrong way? Keniera obviously trusts him…_

Holt let his thoughts wander, resting his head against the sun-warmed bricks behind him. He trusted Keniera, and he should know that she had an uncanny ability to judge character…

_But is it worth the risk if she's wrong? If we're both wrong? Darkness can't be trusted. How can we be sure this isn't some trap he's laying?_

He closed his eyes as his head started pounding once more, lost in a sea of doubts.

0*0*0 *Keniera* 0*0*0

Keniera stretched as she woke up, curling her fingers and toes and yawning loudly. Half-asleep, she almost didn't notice the note lying next to her on the pillow. Keniera rubbed her eyes and picked it up, struggling to make sense of the words in her sleep-induced stupor.

**Keniera,**

** Left to throw off Xehanort's trail. I'll be gone until tomorrow afternoon. Try not to get into too much trouble, alright? I left some munny on the dresser; you should have enough for anything you might need. Also, I think you should know that you mumble in your sleep. Am I really THAT handsome? Your subconscious seems to think so. Why don't you explore a little bit? Destiny Islands is a pretty friendly place; you'll make some new friends pretty easily. I love you, butterfly.**

** -Van**

Keniera chuckled and folded the note up, planning to put it in one of her pockets later. She got dressed and retrieved the munny from the dresser, placing it and the note in the same pocket. Vanitas had left the window open from his breaking-and-entering and Keniera closed it against the crisp morning air, shivering slightly in her thin grey shirt and blue jeans. As she made her way downstairs, she found herself thinking of Holt; wondering where he was since their fight. Distracted, she wasn't paying attention as she walked out the front door of the hotel and ran right into someone, falling backwards onto her rear. Keniera felt her face grow hot as she stuttered out an apology, looking up…

… into golden eyes and jet-black, close cropped hair.

For a moment, Keniera thought it was Vanitas with a new haircut, but the body structure was different. This boy was leaner, his face all sharp angles and his arms and legs thin but muscular. He glared down at Keniera with distaste before forcing his face into a grin.

"Hey hey, sorry. Didn't see you there, lady."

The boy extended his hand to her, which she took reluctantly. His skin was cold as ice, raising goosebumps along her arms.

"I'm sorry sir, I wasn't paying any attention…"

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't either. You okay?"

The people walking along the street parted around them, some watching the golden-eyed boy a bit curiously.

Keniera ignored everyone else and smiled brightly. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. My name's Keniera. You are…?"

The boy still didn't relinquish his grip on her hand, but instead shook it.

"Just call me Victor."

Keniera shook Victor's hand. "Victor…" She laughed, causing Victor to raise an eyebrow.

"Something funny, I presume?"

"You just remind me of someone I know. The hair, the eyes, even the names are similar."

"Oh, really? That's… interesting."

Victor dropped Keniera's hand and crossed his arms.

"So, what would this identity theft's name be?"

"Vanitas. And he's not an identity thief!" Keniera laughed, not catching the dark look that flashed across Victor's face. Immediately he brightened again, pushing the malevolent demeanor below the surface for now. With an imperceptible flex of his fingers, he conjured up a few Neoshadow Heartless behind Keniera. Almost immediately, the people on the street screamed and ran for cover as the Heartless darted here and there. A small girl cried out as one knocked her down and loomed over her. Victor, feigning surprise, summoned Death's Wing and charged towards the Neoshadow, slicing it in half and shooing the girl away. Keniera watched in shock and surprise as Victor dismissed Heartless after Heartless before coming to her senses and summoning her Kingdom Key and cutting down the Heartless separating them, coming back-to-back with Victor. Keniera was panting heavily, while Victor was barely breaking a sweat.

"Phew… Need some help, Victor?"

"Nope."

Keniera sliced through a Neoshadow that had been creeping up behind him. Victor snarled towards the remaining Heartless, reminding them who was boss and warning any others who dared approach him. His face quickly sank into one of imitation relief as he looked back at Keniera.

"Thanks."

Keniera grinned and cut down another Heartless. "No problem. Now, let's get rid of these things."

Victor nodded. "Yeah."

The two launched towards the remaining enemies, their weapons a blur as they dispatched the last of them. Soon enough, there were no Heartless in sight. Keniera ran her forearm across her face, smearing it with a bit of dirt and rested her Keyblade on her shoulder. She was breathing heavily and slumped against the side of a nearby shop. Victor leaned on his scythe and stood next to her, watching her with an intense look on his face. Keniera noticed and cocked an eyebrow up at him.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Victor was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "A Keyblade Wielder, huh?"

Keniera grinned and held her Kingdom Key out in front of her.

"A key to all worlds, and a warrior to wield it. That's me." Casually, she banished it in a shower of golden sparks. Looking up at Victor, she gestured to his scythe.

"And what would that be?"

Victor spun the scythe like a baton and jabbed the end into the ground, pushing himself off from the street in an impressive backflip. He landed in a crouch, the blade glinting in the sun. Keniera felt her eyes widen and her body tense up. Everything about his posture, the way he handled himself, screamed dangerous and Keniera felt her hand itching to summon her Kingdom Key again. She resisted the urge and instead smiled nervously at Victor.

"Impressive, but it still doesn't answer my question."

Victor snorted and stood, tossing the weapon into the air.

"This," he caught it again, "is Death's Wing. The fiercest weapon out there."

"Oh, really?" Keniera stood and stretched before summoning her Keyblade again. "Willing to test that?"

" I thought you'd never ask."

Victor struck first, swinging his scythe in a large arc at Keniera's head which she blocked quickly, the force behind his blow pushing her back. Before she could even make to counterattack, Victor was on her again, this time swiping at her feet with the staff. It caught her ankle and she fell hard, rolling just in front of his feet. She raised her Keyblade again to block another attack aimed at her stomach. Keniera deflected his blow and used his slight moment of imbalance to knock him off his feet. She scrambled up and swung at his side, not seeing him raise the blunt end of his scythe. It caught her in the stomach and vaulted her over top of him, throwing her to the street for the second time.

She rolled and landed in a crouch, her Keyblade throwing sparks as it scraped against the cobblestones. They both stood and took their positions, glaring at each other. With a battle cry, Keniera rushed forward, faking a swing at his knees before changing her aim and catching him squarely in the side. Victor stumbled back and growled, holding his side. After a moment, he straightened up, spinning his scythe in front of him. Keniera watched with growing apprehension as he approached her, his golden eyes glinting harshly in the bright sun. She involuntarily took a step back, the air surrounding them suddenly seeming frigid despite the tropical afternoon sun.

"Victor, I think we should stop now."

"Oh, should we?" He grinned, mirthless and cruel. "I thought we were just getting to the good part."

He came closer. Keniera could hear the quiet _shick, shick_ of the scythe blade cutting the air. She backed against a wall, keeping her Keyblade out in front of her, trembling slightly. Victor, just an arm's length away, suddenly buried the scythe blade into the brick wall behind her, effectively trapping her against the wall, the razor red edge just inches from her throat. Keniera felt cold sweat bead on her forehead and her hands shake as her Keyblade abandoned her. Victor leaned in, his golden eyes staring into hers.

"So… You're disarmed. I guess I win." He laughed harshly, flicking her nose.

"Y-yeah. You win. Let me go."

"What about my prize?"

Keniera gave him a look. "What prize? We never agreed on a prize!"

"Well, I'm the winner, and I demand a prize. You meet me at the docks in two days' time. We'll discuss it then, alright?"

Keniera, seeing no other option, nodded hesitantly. "Alright."

No sooner did the word leave her mouth, the scythe dissolved in a puff of fire and smoke. Victor stepped back, out of Keniera's personal space and walked off briskly. He turned back to face her one last time before stepping down a side alley, his sharp teeth looking all too feral from the shadows.

"See you then." Without another word, he disappeared from sight. Keniera exhaled heavily, her heart racing in fear. _What was that? Victor seemed so… dark all of a sudden… Like someone just flipped a switch inside him._ She shuddered and slid down the side of the building, wrapping her arms around her knees and longing for Vanitas' company. But, no matter how hard she tried to focus on the boy she loved, the boy she now feared wouldn't leave her mind.

0*0*0*0*0*0

***groans and faceplants onto the computer desk***

**Holt- What's wrong with the authoress?**

**Keniera- She's disappointed in the chapter. It's all she could think of, really.**

**Holt- … I'll say. She broke my hand for no good reason.**

***throws book at Holt***

**Holt- Ow! Hey, okay! Sorry!**

**Vanitas- We're all so abused… **

**KpCw- Yeah, well, get used to it. I'm in a crappy mood.**

**Keniera- Tomorrow's Friday, KpCw! Be happy!**

**Holt- It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday…**

**Vanitas- *throws book at Holt***

**Keniera- *throws book at Holt***

**KpCw- *throws book at Holt***

**Holt- Owowowow! Please read and review so the authoress will stop HITTING ME! OW!**


End file.
